Trey Tuesday - September 18, 2012

"And there were also with Him other little ships."
Mark 4:36

A very familiar event told in the Bible is when Jesus calmed the furious squall in the ocean, despite the disciples' doubt and fear.
I consider Trey's cancer a pretty furious squall, don't you?
The effects of Trey's treatments and attention and bills and limitations and thoughts of the future rip through Jay and Rachel and Joe and Bella and Trey's
life worse than any tsunami ever!

But that doesn't discount what you and I go through on a daily basis!
We serve a mighty, mighty God!  He remembers each one of us!
How do we know that?
"And there were also with Him other little ships."

The main stage that day showcased Jesus in the ship, calming the disciples' fears, saving them from the threats looming and commanding the wind and the waves to:  "Be Still!"
"And there were also with Him other little ships."
Jesus calmed the sea for the other little ships as well!  :)
Have you relinquished the helm of your ship to Jesus?
He CAN and WILL calm all that swirls around you!

Thank you for your continued prayers for Trey!
Your love and prayers and support serve as life preservers for him and his family!
Please continue praying for Trey's CT scan coming up in a few weeks....

"He said to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!”
Mark 4:40-41

Trey Tuesday - September 11, 2012

Remembering....

Yes, it has been a day of remembering 9/11....

Beyond that, though, what else causes you to remember?
Birthdays, for sure!
Anniversaries, of course!
Holidays (well, the big ones anyway!)  :)

Under the leadership of Samuel, the Israelites took the ministry of remembering very seriously.  Samuel set up a monument to remind them of God's strong Hand in their victories.  The monument was called an Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."  I Samuel 7:12  The stone pillar reminded the Israelites of all that God had done for them.  Did the stones have any magical power?  Did the Ebenezer grant their wishes?  Did it promise success whenever the Israelites faced opposition?  No.  The stones served as a reminder - pointing them to God and His power!  :)

What are your Ebenezers?

Your bank account?
Your car?
Your job?
Your vacation home?
Your health?

Your family?

Mine is Trey!  :)

To see and hear the life in Trey, despite all that he has been through and all that he continues to go through, encourages me to press on in God's power and timing!
To watch and follow Jay and Rachel as they faithfully journey on, I remember the One who is the object of their faith!
To imagine Joe and Bella living day to day in the midst of uncertainty, I hold tight to the trust found in our Rock, Jesus Christ!

Please remember all that God has done for you - and for each of us in Team Mitlo One - beginning with Trey!
Praise God for Trey's great "health!"

Praise Him and remember all that He has done through and with Trey!
And please pray for many, many more great days of remembering!

Trey will have a CT scan in a few weeks - please keep praying for NO growth!  :)

 "Thus far the Lord has helped us."  I Samuel 7:12 

Trey Tuesday - September 4, 2012

"I perfect!"

 

Rachel reminds us this week:  Today is the first treatment of this cycle for Trey...after 4 treatments, Trey will get another CT scan to evaluate what's happening inside. From the outside, everything looks perfect....just ask Trey and he'll tell you "I perfect!"

 

What confidence!  What truth!  :)  Trey IS perfect!  :)

Can you say the same?
Do you feel the same?

 

Biblically speaking "perfect" means "complete."  Not that we are ever finished with the refining process of God's

grace and mercy, but that through the work of Jesus, we can rest from trying to fix things ourselves.  In Christ

we are complete:  perfect!  :)  Just like Trey!

 

This week as you pray for Trey, please seize the confidence that Trey has and go before our Provider God and pray for:
- continued no growth inside Trey!

- continued amazing, fun, joy-filled, silly, sweet, tender times with Trey!

- peace for Joe!

- joy and comfort for Bella!

- wisdom and hope for Jay and Rachel!

- "perfection" for you!

 

"Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence."

Ephesians 3:12

Trey Tuesday - August 28, 2012

Jay shares a peek into a tiny part of the experience at the CureSearch walk last weekend:

Joe walked the entire 1.5 miles holding the "Team YoungWarrior" sign above his head. He mentioned once that his side really hurt but he wouldn't let the sign down.

Joe's devotion to his duty is more than remarkable!  It is inspirational!  :)

 

Who/what are you devoted to so much that you could/would/do deny yourself?

When was the last time you "held your sign high" for your "younger brother?"

 

Joe is in good company!  Remember the story from Exodus 17:8-16?

"The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

 

God may call you to be like Joshua:  "Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered"

God may call you to be like Moses:  "I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.'  As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning."

God may call you to be like Aaron and Hur:  "When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset."

Or God may call you to be like Trey, and fight the fight of cancer.

 

May you and your "altar" boldly declare the victory like Moses:  "The Lord is my Banner."

Thank you for raising a banner to God on your knees for Trey this Trey Tuesday - and everyday!  :)

 

"So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace."

Judges 6:24

Trey Tuesday - August 21, 2012

A Cure!

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and

healing every disease and sickness."
Matthew 9:35

The people in Jesus' time didn't have to search far to find the cure for whatever ailed them.

Our passage today says Jesus healed every disease and sickness!

But why was there still disease and sickness in the world?

Remember the invalid in John 5?  Jesus asked, "Do you want to get well?"

Gulp.  I guess the sick person needed to come face to face with Jesus and answer that question for himself!

Over 2,000 years later we are in the same position.  You may face physical disease like Trey.

You may carry emotional sickness like Joe and Bella probably deal with every day since Trey's diagnosis.

You may even battle a fatal spiritual condition.

Is there a cure?  Yes, there is!
Where do you search?

We praise God Team Mitlo One gathers (in person and via cyber) together to pray to our Almighty Healer for Trey each week/day!  :)

Yes, Trey wants to get well!
Yes, Trey's family wants to be well!
Yes, Jesus can heal every disease and sickness either sooner or later!

Yes, Jesus knows exactly what He is doing!  :)

Let's keep on our knees for Trey!

And please also be praying for Rachel and friends as they participate in the 2012 Pittsburgh CureSearch Walk for Children's Cancer!

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1022699&supId=363374384&extSiteType=1

"I will heal My people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."
Jeremiah 33:6

Trey Tuesday - August 14, 2012

It's Time!

 

It's that time of year...the clock is ticking...we can all feel it!
School, football, leaves, pumpkins, Christmas!!!!!!!!!  :)

Time is a funny thing.  It either moves too fast or too slow.

Hmmm....mid-August...seems that the summer clock is speeding by a bit too fast these days!

 

Yet, as Jay and Rachel reminded us this past week, time has been Trey's friend.  :)

On that horrible day of surgery last year, August 10, Jay and Rachel (and Team Mitlo One) prayed to have one more day with Trey!

Here we are 369 "days" later!
Praise the Lord!

Please pray for the Lord to continue to bless Trey's time with much great health and strength and progress through his treatments!
And for Jay and Rachel to continue being awesome parents and spouses using time with their whole family in such fun ways!

And for the them to feel God's peace when time seems uncertain!
And for Joe and Bella to forget about time and fear and worry and to trust their earthly parents and Heavenly Father!

 

What about you?

How is your grasp of time?

Let's learn ANOTHER lesson from Trey!

Defy time - and live!  :)

 

"I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

2 Corinthians 6:2

Trey Tuesday - August 7, 2012

Trey for the Gold!  :)

Summer Olympics - you just cant beat the air of competition, team spirit, American pride and good old fashioned reward for a job well done!

You know, we all have a race to run.....
And of course, Trey paints a beautiful picture in this regard.
In July, Trey was chosen to cut the ribbon opening the Relay for Life in Penn Hills (fundraiser of the American Cancer Society.). Trey and Jay were then invited to join in the Survivors' lap around the track!  :) Trey, however, had had a busy day and was verrrrry tired!  Jay carried him three quarters of the way around the track!  Just when Jay was growing weary Trey turns to Jay and says, "I'm ready to run the race, Dad!"  "Wow!  How poignant," I thought!  Amazing, how spiritual our Young Warrior is! 
But Trey's "I'm ready to run the race, Dad" really meant, "I am ready for you to run while you are holding me, Dad!"
Has God ever had you in a "race" that you didn't choose to enter?  Have you ever felt like you couldn't "run" one more step?
Yet begrudgingly, you did.
Listen to Trey's words:  "I'm ready!"  He was choosing to be ready!  He was facing the challenge and going for it - in the safety and strength of his father's arms!  :)
Just like he does day after day after day in his fight against cancer.  Except he doesn't know it.
His family, Team Mitlo One and the grace and mercy of God surround and carry Trey!  :)

Does that sound familiar?
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. "
Hebrews 12:1-3
This Trey Tuesday let's celebrate along with our Olympic winners!
Let's thank God for Trey's awesome CT scan last week!
Let's praise Him for the ever growing supportive great cloud of witnesses: Team Mitlo One!
Let's rejoice in Trey's great health this summer  - allowing Trey and Joe and Bella and their parents to enjoy many fun summer days together!
And let's glorify God each time we speak of Trey and all that God is doing through Him! "Run in such a way as to get the prize."
I Corinthians 9:24