I know I’ve promised it a few times – that the digi-scrappin’ part of DigiScrapChat will be back soon!  And it will be back – I have a two great posts started and several ideas to share with you this month. But before I do all that, can you handle another Gratituesday post first?

There have been several times in last several months that I have skipped writing Gratituesday posts, or I have struggled with finding words for posts because I was struggling to find my gratitude.

This week is NOT one of those weeks.

Actually, I AM struggling with finding words this week… but not because I’m coming from a place of pain, but rather because I have SO much joy and SO much gratitude flowing right now, that words just don’t seem adequate.  Maybe I should just write a few words in a list, and then try to explain.  So how about these words:

• 100% black-out
• cancer free
• chemo was a complete success
• REMISSION

Isn’t that a beautiful list?  Those were the words I heard from my sister Sarah today when she called after her oncology appointment.  The results of her PET scan are in, and it was a 100% black-out, which means there were NO little lights (which signify cancer in the body) showing on the scan at all.  None.  No little ones, no big ones.. NO CANCER.

NO CANCER.

The pathology report stated that chemo was a complete success.

Her oncologist declared her in REMISSION.

This comes just 6 1/2 months after we heard the dreadful news of “stage four breast cancer”… “it’s in the lungs”  “in her lymph nodes”… and the doctor basically said that remission doesn’t happen in these types of cases.  He said we had time, but he couldn’t promise how much time – hopefully months to years, the doctor had said.

And then we started praying.  Our family started praying.  Our friends started praying.  Church families and friends across the country started praying.  My 3 year old and 6 year old prayed EVERY night for Aunt Sarah.

My husband told me over and over again that she was going to be FINE.  That we were going to pray BELIEVING that she was going to be ok, and that God would heal her.

And folks, I tried to pray that way.  I tried to pray with belief that she would be ok.  I KNOW Allan prayed with complete belief, even while I struggled and prayed with my fears and my lack of faith. Deep down I doubted, but kept praying and trying to find belief, like the father in the Gospel of Mark.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

If there was ever a time for a husband to say to his wife, “I told you so”, today was the day, and Allan enjoyed it completely.

I’ve been in tears most of the afternoon and the evening.  Happy, joyous tears of relief and… gratitude.  Lil Allan (3 years) was curious about the tears, especially when we were doing happy dances in the living room THROUGH the tears.  “Happy tears” didn’t make much sense to him, but he danced with me anyway.

I had to call Samuel to tell him (he was at his other dad’s house) – and he just kept saying, “YES!  YES!  WOOHOO!  YES”.   (And then he wanted to know if Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ron and Austin and Hailey could come for a visit now that Aunt Sarah was not sick anymore).

When I told lil Allan that God healed Aunt Sarah, he said, “God is a good Daddy, isn’t he”.  (We had just talked on Sunday morning about how God is our Father, and that’s the same as being our Daddy – he apparently remembered).

Yes… God is GOOD.  And I am humbled and grateful today.  Grateful that God heard our prayers and gave my sister a second chance.

I am going to continue praying for her, because although this battle is over, her chances for more battles in the future still exist.  She has a rare genetic defect that can bring cancer back.  She’ll be having surgery to help eliminate some of the risks, but the risks will still exist.

But now when I pray for her, I will pray with BELIEF… and thanksgiving.  If you pray, please join me in praying a pray of thanksgiving and continue health for my sister.

May God bless you and yours this week…

(And be sure to go read more Gratituesday posts linked up over at Laura’s blog).