Happy Fall!

Halie modeling at the TCH Fashion Show to raise money for the Cancer Center!

Meet Gracie!!!

Wow, I cannot believe it has been so long since I updated! Well, Fall is here and with it the busyness of life!  We are loving every minute of it!  Aleks is playing football for his first time this year playing Corner back and Kicker!  We are so proud of him!  He has been working hard and seems to have found his knish....  Halie modeled for a Charity event for Texas Children's Hospital and was a natural fashionista.  It was funny.  The night before she told me she was not going to do it!  No way!!!! The next day we get to the Beautiful ballroom where the event was a bit bigger than I realized, fully expecting her to say "NO WAY"  but as always such a brave girl.  She did it flawlessly and afterwards I asked if she was nervous and she looked at me and said "it was no big thing"  such a funny girl.  Chloe is doing fabulous at school she moved to Magnolia Parkway and is really enjoying school.  She saw an answer to her fervent prayers as Daddy surprised us one day and said we could get a puppy so "Gracie" (because Chloe said it was by God's grace alone we got her) has made a wonderful addition to our family. Chloe also turned 9 yesterday and we celebrated by going roller skating.  What an amazing blessing just being together. Enjoying the daily blessings God gives us are so much sweeter now.  Kyle is being Home schooled this year and loving being at home with Mommy and sister.  He is looking forward to starting Karate which we hope to have him signed up for after scans next week.   Chloe is trying to decide between Tumbling and Horse back riding.  Halie is all about tumbling....  loving the cheerleaders at Aleks football games.  Hopefully someday she can do that.   All in all we are good.  Scans next week --  we will do the bone scan Tuesday, the MIBG injection Wednesday, Thursday we will have a CT of her neck & abdomen and the MIBG scan and Friday we are scheduled for her follow up hearing test.  She has hearing loss that showed up back in July but for now have just wanted wait and watch.  Sometimes it remains stable sometimes it gets worse.   Side effect of the Chemo.  We pray for our sweet girl everyday.  Knowing that their will be side effects for years to come as we see the long term effects of the chemo that God used to save her life.  As always we look to Him alone for wisdom and strength,  sufficient as it is for each day!  Also, please pray for our friend Hans he has relapsed Neuroblastoma and has been fighting for so long.  Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they continue to seek the best treatment plans for Hans.  Lift up Hans as he is undergoing a pretty tough chemo regime and for his sweet family!  May God's hands wrap tightly around this sweet family.  

A friend posted this last month for Cancer Awareness and I wanted to share it in our post!  Praying for A Cure for Childhood Cancer!

They ride tricycles in the hallway, not in the park. They know the names of treatments instead of their classmates. Their central lines have names. Nurses and doctors are their new family. They think hair is overrated. Their laughter can make a heart melt. Their strength will make a grown person cry. If you've ever seen a kid fight cancer, it will change your life forever!

 I will update more as we go through next weeks scans ! God bless you all!

The Pigott Family

No Evidence of Disease! Praise the Lord!

  Wow, This is a weekend of Praising God and thanking Him for the wonderful news!  Halie has No Evidence of Disease!!!!  Thank You, Jesus!  We have learned so much this past month.  It has been a long , hard month full of crying out to God, weeping, praying, learning to trust Him even in the midst of the storm.  Once again, His mercy is overwhelming and all I can do is say Thank You, Lord! 

   I ask that while you praise God and Thank Him for Halie's clean scans ( it was a bruise to the bone as the bone scan is dramatically lighter and the MIBG is normal) you would pray for all the families fighting Cancer and coping with relapse, today.  Our friend Dillon is fighting Cancer dealing with the harsh side effects of radiation and Our buddies Hans and Aiden are in the fight against relapse.  Pray for strength for their families, wisdom for their doctors and healing for their bodies.  That God's mighty hand would comfort and hold each one of them.   Thank you for your faithful prayers!  We serve an Awesome God!  Thank You, Jesus! 

The Neuroblastoma Bake sale is coming up in September for those of you who would like to help,  we need bakers!  If anyone is interested email me at jenniferpigott@att.net.   We usually raise about $1500 to nearly $3000 per bake sale!  100% of the sales go to the Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation (www.cncfhope.org) to fund research, awareness, and education.  And at the end of the day, any remaining unsold items will be dropped off to various locations within the hospital for patients and their families (i.e. Oncology floor, Pediatric ICU, etc).

God calls us to help those who cannot help themselves, Help us help these kids (our kids) who are fighting for their lives!  

Thank you all for loving our daughter, lifting her and our family up in prayers, we love you!

HE GOETH ON BEFORE

Please keep Halie in your prayers today as we have our last day of re-scans. The MIBG scan is at 1:00 and is the big one that will reveal if there is any Neuroblastoma in her sweet little body. Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they read the results later today that the scans would be clear and leave no room for doubt. Please pray that the bone scan would be clear with the spot that lit up last month gone and that the MIBG would reveal No Evidence of Disease. And as always pray that we would continue to trust him regardless of the outcome today. That we would rest in Him and in his goodness, kindness and above all His love for our precious daughter. Thank you,
I will post after we get the results...

This devotion was perfect for my heart and I hope it encourages yours.....


Streams In the Desert
Put Forth

"He putteth forth his own sheep" (John10:4).

Oh, this is bitter work for Him and us--bitter for us to go, but equally bitter for Him to cause us pain; yet it must be done. It would not be conducive to our true welfare to stay always in one happy and comfortable lot. He therefore puts us forth. The fold is deserted, that the sheep may wander over the bracing mountain slope. The laborers must be thrust out into the harvest, else the golden grain would spoil.

Take heart! it could not be better to stay when He determines otherwise; and if the loving hand of our Lord puts us forth, it must be well. On, in His name, to green pastures and still waters and mountain heights! He goeth before thee. Whatever awaits us is encountered first by Him. Faith's eye can always discern His majestic presence in front; and when that cannot be seen, it is dangerous to move forward. Bind this comfort to your heart, that the Savior has tried for Himself all the experiences through which He asks you to pass; and He would not ask you to pass through them unless He was sure that they were not too difficult for your feet, or too trying for your strength.

This is the Blessed Life--not anxious to see far in front, nor careful about the next step, not eager to choose the path, nor weighted with the heavy responsibilities of the future, but quietly following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time.

Dark is the sky! and veiled the unknown morrow Dark is life's way, for night is not yet o'er; The longed-for glimpse I may not meanwhile borrow; But, this I know, HE GOETH ON BEFORE.

Dangers are nigh! and fears my mind are shaking; Heart seems to dread what life may hold in store; But I am His--He knows the way I'm taking, More blessed still--HE GOETH ON BEFORE.

Doubts cast their weird, unwelcome shadows o'er me, Doubts that life's best--life's choicest things are o'er; What but His Word can strengthen, can restore me, And this blest fact; that still HE GOES BEFORE.

HE GOES BEFORE! Be this my consolation! He goes before! On this my heart would dwell! He goes before! This guarantees salvation! HE GOES BEFORE! And therefore all is well. --J. D. Smith

***

The Oriental shepherd was always ahead of his sheep. He was down in front. Any attack upon them had to take him into account. Now God is down in front. He is in the tomorrows. It is tomorrow that fills men with dread. God is there already. All the tomorrows of our life have to pass Him before they can get to us. --F. B. M.

***

"God is in every tomorrow,

Therefore I live for today,
Certain of finding at sunrise,
Guidance and strength for the way;
Power for each moment of weakness,
Hope for each moment of pain,
Comfort for every sorrow,
Sunshine and joy after rain."

Father, Help me not to be anxious to see too far in front, nor careful about the next step, not eager to choose the path, nor weighted with the heavy responsibilities of the future, but help me to queitly follow behind you , the Shepherd, one step at a time.  Right now while dangers are nigh! and the fears in my mind are shaking and my heart seems to dread what life may hold in store; help me to remember that We are Yours--You know the way we're taking, When doubts cast their weird, unwelcome shadows o'er me, comfort me that your word only YOU Father can strengthen & restore, And never let me forget that You GO BEFORE US.  AMEN

Pictures from Atlantis! Halie's Wish come true!!!!

We had an amazing time in the Bahamas with our precious family!  Wow, this month has flown by.  Kyle turned 7 ( I love this kiddo!  He has the most amazing heart!  I am so thankful to be his mommy) ,  We went to the Bahamas (Thank you make a wish), spent time with family & Jason and I celebrated 13 Years of marriage!  I love this man more than ever and I am so thankful that through the ups and downs of life he is always by my side!   I am blest!  It's been a whirlwind of activity.  I cannot believe Summer is now coming to an end and school is starting up again next week.  The kids are so excited!  Aleks starts 7th grade, Chloe is in 3rd and Kyle is starting 1st.  Jason and I were just talking about how fast the years are flying by.  We are sooo thankful for our amazing kids!  Tuesday as the big kids start school Halie and I will be down at Texas Children's Hospital getting scans.  Yes, the month has flown by and it is time to rescan.  The bone scan is Tuesday August the 23 and the MIBG is Thursday the 25th.  We are hoping to have the results by Friday.  Please pray that the spot on the bone scan is gone and that the MIBG reveals no evidence of disease.  Pray for us to rest in Christ this week as this past month has been an emotional roller coaster.  I read a quote the other day that sums up my month "kicking and screaming all the way, I am still learning the lessons of Job".   How true is that statement.  Cancer is a hard road but God is a good God and although in my weakness I am afraid and weak, I am thankful that He is not.  "Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  I love the I's in that promise.  Because He is strong I am free to be weak!  Thank you Jesus!  Pray for our family this week as we cling to the promises of God.  He is our hope...

Waiting on the Lord...

Sooo many things go rushing through your mind as tests are being performed on your daughter....the waiting....and waiting.....only to find out we need to wait longer  Not moments or hours but days.  Most of the tests run on Halie are clear.  There is one .... the bone scan that shows what appears to be a lesion on her bone in her leg.  The MIBG (this scan targets Neuroblastoma cells) is just fuzzy in that same area. Her doctor calls this inconclusive...meaning there isn't enough information to determine relapse or no evidence of disease. Therefore, we wait for a month then do another bone scan.      Please pray for us as we walk through this month.  As her doctor says..prepare for the worst news yet hope (but we say PRAY) for the best.
So today....the day we fly off on Halie's "Make a Wish" vacation swimming with the dolphins....we will enjoy the laughter and family time.  Pray for us as we journey to embrace and enjoy the 10,000 little moments of delight and wonder each day.  And as John Piper says...."I will talk to my tears."  Yes, my heart is heavy but the Lord knows...as I remind myself of the post early this summer:

  God will sustain us and we are continuing to look to Him for our strength to face whatever challenges the future holds.  For me as a Mom, the future is at times so full of hope and I am so thankful for all that God has taught me on this journey and yet their is always that fear.....  What if it comes back????  I am learning to give it to He on whom we have set our hope.  He alone holds her (all of us in His hands) and I have to press forward.  Not without fear mind you but with a confidence not in myself but in the One who is my Hope.  You see what He has shown me this year is that I am going to fall short, I am going to give in to my fear at times and be overwhelmed by my lot in this life but, in His kindness He will lift me up, He will carry me, strengthen me and lavish His love on me, He will remind me that this is not our home.  You see he remembers that I am but dust and that without His living breath in my life I cannot live the life He has called me to.  So, whatever the future holds for us we will walk in confident trust in Him who holds all things together.  He is our Hope.  --- Now, please remind me of that in July when we scan....;) 

Thank You Lord for using the words of this post to remind me!  Please continue to pray!