May 2012
5 posts
Graduation
This Saturday Dave was able to attend Paige’s graduation from Biola University. It was a very exciting day for us, not only because we are really proud of Paige in this wonderful accomplishment, but also because the doctor cleared Dave to be able to attend (so long as he stayed out of the sun and away from the crowds). Tricky, but we did it. The expression on Paige’s face when she...
Celebrate With Us!
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2
We received the best news ever this week! It worked!! That’s right, the stem cell transplant worked.
Dave’s stem cells are now 99.9 percent his brother Paul, and that’s huge! Dr. Lopez told us...
Another Long Day
It’s been over a 12-hour day so far, and still counting. We left the house this morning at 6:45 and arrived at Cedars at 8:30. We are definitely gaining an empathy for all of you who have a long commute every day. After drawing Dave’s blood and waiting for the results, we were informed that his magnesium, potassium, and fluid levels weren’t in their “sweet spot” so he...
Quick Update
Hey friends,
Thanks for your continued support through this battle we are in. We know some of you check this site five times a day just hoping for more updates! We love you for that. This last week was a busy one for our family. Carol, Paige, and Kayla were at a women’s retreat with nearly 500 other women from Inland Hills. Andrew was also there helping to run tech for the event as...
One Step Closer
We are thrilled to let you know that Dave was released from the hospital a few days ago. That was such an exciting day! It kind of felt like we were graduating. But then on the other hand it felt like we were breaking out of prison. The last two days we were in that room, we couldn’t see out our window because they covered it in preparation for painting the outside of the building. We...
April 2012
8 posts
Prayers From India
Pastor Joshua is our good friend and brother in the Lord living in Rajahmundry, India. He and his church, as well as Christians from many churches in the surrounding villages, are praying for Dave and his recovery from this leukemia. We love that! These people in India truly know what desperation of many kinds feels like. Many of them live in desperation and struggle every day, so to know that...
Almost Home
Hey friends,
After the services this weekend at Inland Hills, I drove straight to the hospital to spend some time with dad. As I walked into the room I could see a major improvement in his progress just from looking at him. As I glanced at the white board to see his numbers, I noticed they had climbed incredibly! These numbers reflect his white blood cell, hemoglobin, and platelet count....
Devotional
Looking out the window of our fourth floor hospital room, we first see the lovely view of a three-story high block wall. Yes. Actually, not so lovely at all. On the other side of that block wall is a four-story parking structure that is usually empty at night and full of employee cars during the day. If you look beyond that parking structure you can see the tops of trees, buildings, and street...
Fever Update
Hey friends,
This weekend at church I gave an update on Dave and shared that early Sunday morning his fever had spiked to 102.5 degrees. It was scary for us because his immune system is completely shot right now. His body doesn’t have much to fight an infection right now.
After church on Sunday I left straight for the hospital and was there till 10pm. During that time his fever had...
One Day At A Time
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 Have you ever been more tired than you ever thought possible? A kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix. A tired that can almost feel suffocating. Where just to sit up in bed and eat a few bites of a meal is a huge effort....
Transplant Went Great!
Today was a big day and God was with us. Everything went very smoothly with no bad reactions or side effects. We even saw glimpses of Dave’s great sense of humor. All the kids were there, along with two of Dave’s brothers, and it was a wonderful thing to experience together. Our nurse, Eartha, was so perfect as she prayed along with us and enjoyed the “God songs” we had...
Transplant Tomorrow
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen.” Jeremiah 29:12
Tomorrow (4/4) is the big day! Our transplant coordinator, Patricia, refers to it as Dave’s new birthday. This is exciting and scary. It’s a very big step in the process for Dave to be back with us, healthy and strong. We encourage you to not only pray, but to also fast. Maybe...
Chemo Is Hard
Dave is receiving an intense round of chemo and the side effects are kicking in. He is struggling with headaches, nausea, extreme fatigue and still the foot pain. The reason we put this out to you is so that you can be praying for him. We are noticing that Dave, as well as our whole family, is much more physically tired and emotionally drained as we head into this round of treatment. We are also...
March 2012
12 posts
Back at Cedars
Today we returned to Cedars for the next step in our journey with leukemia. It was a bittersweet drive, knowing that these next few weeks are probably going to be very difficult, but at the same time knowing this is taking us one step closer to Dave being back to full health. As we were registering at the hospital, we happened to run into the man who has been our Cedars contact in coordinating...
The Bike
Some of you were wondering whatever happened with the exercise bike that Dave needed. Here it is! We are very grateful to Dan and Monica who graciously researched and provided Dave with the best recumbent exercise bike possible for someone in Dave’s condition. He has already traveled many miles on this thing, and there will be many more miles in the weeks and months to come when he is back...
God is Good
For those of you who prayed for Dave today, I know you’re wondering how his procedure went. I am very happy to report that out of the six times he has had to undergo the lumbar puncture, this was by far the quickest and least painful. Yeah! We are so relieved and we hope that he doesn’t ever have to do that again. When the tech came into the waiting room to tell me they were finished, I was amazed...
One More Time
Tuesday morning (3.27) we will be heading to Cedars once again for Dave’s sixth, and hopefully last, lumbar puncture chemo procedure. Ouch! Once again, we ask that you would pray for Dave and his doctors at 9:30 am tomorrow morning. Last week, with all of your prayers, the procedure went so much more smoothly than the time before when we failed to ask for your prayers. Prayer really does make a...
Good Day
Saturday was a great day. It felt normal. It was fun.
Paige, Carol and Dave drove up the mountain to Lake Arrowhead. Once we drove above the clouds it was absolutely beautiful! We shopped a little at the outlets in Arrowhead and found some great deals! Then we drove over to The Cottage on Hwy 18 for a late lunch. If you haven’t eaten there, you’ve gotta try it sometime. Great food. They forgot...
Prayer Works!
Your Prayers Made a Big Difference!
The lumbar puncture procedure is finished and things went good. So different from last time. Thank you so much for praying. Of course, it is a painful procedure, but it wasn’t a traumatic kind of pain like last time. We will be coming back to Cedars next Tuesday for this same procedure one last time, so we will definitely be asking for your prayers...
Please Pray!
Wednesday (3.21) at 10:30 in the morning we need as many people praying for Dave as possible. He will be going in for another lumbar puncture procedure. Last week’s procedure was extremely painful and traumatic because they kept hitting nerves and it took much longer than usual.
Pray that the doctor’s hands will be guided by our Heavenly Father.
Please pray that God gives Dave a very deep peace...
WatchPastor Dave was able to get up on stage last weekend at Inland Hills Church to share an update. It was a very special and inspirational time for our entire church family. In case you missed it, enjoy!
PRAYERS ANSWERED
Thank you so much for praying for Dave today. Knowing that people are behind you, supporting you in prayer, makes such a huge difference when you’re headed into something hard or overwhelming. Isn’t it great that God created us for community and relationships so that we don’t have to face the hard things in life alone? Everything went well at the hospital today and we made it...
PRAYER NEEDED TODAY
Today is a day that we need to pray for Dave and his doctors. This morning at around 10am, Dave will undergo a sensitive procedure at Cedars. It’s an intrathecal chemotherapy procedure where the doctors will inject chemo into his spinal column (similar to a spinal tap) and then the chemo travels up to his brain. This is necessary to combat any lingering leukemia cells in those important...
Day By Day
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Every day is a new adventure in life. Every day offers opportunities to grow. Every day brings challenges to overcome. For our family. And for you and your family. None of us are immune to the ups and downs of life. So what are we going to do with all those...
February 2012
7 posts
Home Feels Good
After another two and half weeks in the hospital, Dave is back home again. It always feels so good to be home. You don’t realize how good it feels to sleep in your own bed until you’ve spent some time in a hospital bed… or in Carol’s case a hospital cot. We so appreciate our friend who made sure we had all new, soft, comfy bedding. Wow! What a difference! Like sleeping...
God is with us
We wanted to give you a quick update. Since our call out for prayers a couple days ago, many of you are wondering how Dave is doing. The last few days have definitely been difficult, but in spite of it all God is with us and He has a purpose. In fact, just this morning Dave “preached” a mini-sermon to one of our wonderful nurses on the battle of good and evil in this world. About...
Scary Stuff
Dear friends,
We need your prayers. This weekend we announced from the stage at IHC that Dave was responding great to the second round of chemo, which was a blessing. However, everyday is different and brings a new battle. After pumping five different chemos into his body this last week, Dave started spiking a high fever of 103 yesterday. They are trying to control it with Tylenol and other...
A Note From Dave
I miss you IHC and hope to return in the not too distant future. Leukemia snatched me like a thief in the night. All of the sudden my life was not my own. Aw, but God… I’m still on the planet for a purpose and my situation is in the Father’s hands. And, as a good friend reminded me the other day, “the Father has really big hands!” I’m trusting in God’s healing to my body as I submit...
Blood Drive
During his battle with this cancer, Pastor Dave is expected to undergo numerous blood transfusions. In his honor, we have organized a second blood drive with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Bone marrow donor testing/registry will also be available.
Wednesday, February 8; 2:30 - 8 p.m.
Thursday, February 9; 2:30 - 8 p.m.
Building B, rooms 101/102
If you would like to participate, you may sign...
Round 2
Hey friends,
Today Pastor Dave went back to Cedars-Sinai Hospital for the second round of Chemotherapy. They expect that he will be there for about a week. During this time, we will need your prayers big time. Here are a few things that you can be praying and doing for Pastor Dave:
Pray for zero complications or side effects from the chemo.
Pray for Dr.Lopez’s wisdom and guidance.
...
Donuts & Delays
Hey friends,
As you can see… mom and Austin have been enjoying the donuts our dad has been craving lately :) Many of you know, we were planning on heading back to the hospital today (Wed) to start the second round of chemo. Unfortunately, in the last few days Dave came down with an infection that will keep him at home for a few more days. He is on a few medications that have already...
January 2012
8 posts
This Weekend @IHC
Hey friends,
We know many of you check this website often hoping for updates on Pastor Dave. Our family really appreciates your ongoing support. We will continue to give you as much information as possible as we keep fighting this battle. We truly believe in the power of prayer, and can already see the results of it. So keep it up!
For the past couple weeks we have been enjoying some family...
HOME AGAIN
Home Again!
We are thrilled that the doctors released Dave to come home again. The fevers are under control and the allergic reaction is almost gone. It feels really good to be home.
Now we will focus on getting good rest, eating lots of great food, and regaining some strength back. The first day we walked around the back yard a couple times, but today he was able to walk all the way around the...
PRAYER NEEDED
Hey Friends,
Thank you so much for your continued support over the last few months. After 55 days of being in the hospital, Pastor Dave was able to come home Tuesday night 1/10. The doctors anticipated he would be home for about 10-14 days before needing to head back to the hospital for the second round of treatment. Although he was very tired and weak, he was relieved to be able to sleep in...
Dave's Birthday!
Today is Pastor Dave’s birthday! The nurses and doctors on our floor brought him a surprise cake and we all got to sing “happy birthday” to him! His spirits were lifted in that moment and his face lit up. We did get positive news today that his white blood cell & platelet count is up! That means that his body is slowly recovering from the chemo and that he will soon be...
December 2011
5 posts
HOPEFUL NEWS
Dear Friends,
We have much reason to celebrate this Christmas! The Bible tells us that God is faithful, especially in the middle of our struggles and sufferings. And it’s so true. Our family is experiencing God’s faithfulness even on our most difficult days.
We are thrilled to report that with the skill of the doctors and nurses, the effectiveness of modern medicine, and the healing...
Dave Update 12.16
Hey Friends, Thank you everyone for your prayers, your words of love and encouragement on this website, your cards, and your participation in the blood drive. As we sit here in the hospital, it’s hard to explain how encouraging and comforting it is to know that many people are praying and supporting us. We aren’t accustomed to being the ones on this end of the “care equation,” but it’s wonderful...
BLOOD DRIVE
We had HUGE success at our first blood drive at Inland Hills Church. Our family wanted to thank the hundreds of people who came out to donate! I have to tell you, the staffers from Cedars-Sinai were blown away with our church! Most of them, including the C.O.O. of the hospital have seen Godsgotthis.org and are amazed with your response to this battle.
We had such a massive turn out for this...
WatchThis is the weekend message from December 3/4 at Inland Hills Church. Bob Shank gave some great perspective on WHY the diagnosis of leukemia could happen to Pastor Dave. It also includes an update on Dave’s health.
WRISTBANDS!
Hey friends,
Spread the word, GOD’S GOT THIS wristbands are now available! We chose the orange color because the national color for leukemia is, you guessed it, orange! They only cost $1, so grab a few. Please wear it to remind yourself:
To pray for Pastor Dave.
To share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
That God is in control in all circumstances.
If you live in the Southern...
November 2011
7 posts
PRAYER WORLDWIDE
Friends,
We just got word that there are Christian groups praying for Pastor Dave in the following Countries:
United States, Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, China, Brazil, South Africa, India, UK, Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, Belguim, Colombia, New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Philippines, Cypress, France, Ghana, Greece, Kenya, Malaysia, Japan,...
DAVE UPDATE 11/29
Hey friends,
Thank you so much for spreading the news about GODSGOTTHIS.ORG! Because of your support, literally tens of thousands of people around the country are praying for Pastor Dave!
Prayers Answered:
White blood cell count down from 98K to 19K this morning. This drop started during our weekend services at IHC as we were praying!
His collapsed lungs have improved and he is now off...
Dave & Drew
A few days ago Dave was doing well enough to sit up with Andrew and get their heads together for some message planning. They were blessed even to have 30 minutes of time to pray and be open to the amazing things God has planned for Inland Hills Church.
God’s Got This.
THANKSGIVING
We woke up this morning, made some turkey dinner and drove up to the hospital. We snuck in smooth with our goodies nice and tucked away. Once we were able to see dad, we unveiled the best food he’s had in weeks! While it was not a fun circumstance to be in, we made the best of it and gave thanks to God!