December News & Prayer Requests

UCLA here I come! Well, we don't have the official date yet, but the waiting is coming to an end. I just received word today that there are 3 matches - 2 cord blood and 1 adult match - that are REALLY good matches. UCLA is now ready to submit the request for transplant with urgent status to my insurance company, Blue Cross. That should come back in 2-3 days. It then takes 8-10 days to receive the shipment from Australia. They put in for the cord blood donation because that is faster.

Here's the catch. It's Christmas. Then it's New Year's. Two holiday delays, then on January 1, our insurance changes to Aetna from Blue Cross. So tomorrow I have to fax over a document to request transition coverage to make sure I'm covered for the transplant. Pray that there are no slip-ups with the insurance companies and that there is no fight over who pays for this thing. The timing is so bad with the insurance changing, but it is out of our hands. On the brightside, we heard that the new plan is supposed to have better coverage than the old plan.

Please pray also for our financial provision in general...besides the unforeseen medical expenses we've already incurred, with a new calendar year we have to pay our deductible all over again. We're also still reeling from last year's mold fiasco for which we had to take a second out on our house for remediation. Thank God for his provisions thus far and for the great benefits Mike receives from work such as vacation, sick, personal time and flexible scheduling!

My business is doing well, but it will be very difficult to maintain it while I'm going through this difficult time. September through November saw wonderful growth, a 10-12% monthly increase, company-wide. For me, December is seeing an exepected slow down due to the busy time of this season anyway. So pray for a surge of activity for my business and for sustained energy for me to maintain it from a hospital bed. I made Director in September from the hospital bed, but I have no idea what to expect from the transplant and I know it may be harder than anything I've experienced before. Mike encouraged me not to give up because the income it has generated has been paying the medical bills and has kept us out of the hole. If you are interested in Shaklee's great products, I'm your girl ;) Just ring me (805) 722-5556 after 7 pm or on the weekend. Or visit my main website or my Vivix website or my Cinch Plan website .
Merry Christmas! Only 9 days left as I write this.
We sure have been enjoying the holiday season, have you? The lights, the music, the treats, the tree, the presents, the stockings, stories and traditions old and new -- this feels like the best Christmas ever! I hope you are taking the time out to reflect on the reason for this season, the birth of our savior Jesus Christ and what that means to you. I pray that you will find the joy that only Christ can truly bring.

Christmas Joy

by Jody Goode, 1997

O, the joy of that first Christmas morn,
When in my heart the Savior was born.

The spirit of Christmas is not in the giving;
Rather in new life given to each new believer,
As Christ is born and newly living.

No wonder Heaven's angels rejoice
When a new heart believes and mouth confesses!
He is risen once again by the power of faith, by the power of love,
This He who is Jesus.

Our stripes He has worn so the yoke would be easy and the burdens be light.
To the pit He descended and with Him our stripes.
With each proclamation of faith and of love the stripes are then healed,
And He's resurrected to Heaven's most glorious height.

I joyously share in His shame and His pain.
For I know I was dead, but new life's been given.
And on me He finds not a remnant of stain.
With new eyes I see the wise of the earth become Heaven's fool.
For Him an instrument, in His hand just a tool.

The first shall be last and the last shall be first.

I shall join together with those now who are first;
To celebrate the grandest of all Christmas morns;
When each heart that brought our Savior to life,
Will forever depart from this place of strife.

We shall enter His throne room, unleash His clenched hands.
Help Him up from the floor, upon bended knee He's been found.
We're all here our Lord Jesus, not one is left out!
All stripes have been healed and we're no longer bound.

To our knees we all fall, nothing else we could do.
Merry Christmas Christ Jesus, it's always been You!
O, the joy of that precious first Christmas morn;
When in our hearts, dear Savior, there You were born.