THANKFUL

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The Lauer family has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Over the past eight months or so, we have experienced so much love and support from friends and family. You ALL have been amazing and we thank God for you! We have also felt the hand of our Lord every step of the way...we have a God full of Magnanimity! (that's for those of you who read Kit's blog while he was in the hospital :)

My dad is still in Oregon and doing great! His energy level has even slightly improved. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for him as he travels back home to Maui on friday. the McManus family has been so generous and upgraded my dad and Uncle Buddy to first class...we love you guys!

I already mentioned previously that my dad got to see much of my mom's family on his visit which was a huge blessing. I wanted to add that my dad got to see my Aunt Becky's mom and dad (Doug and Edie) who could use prayers over their health as well.  He was reunited with the Johnson family (from Oregon), Jon Small, the Hickmans, and the Crabtrees...who are all very dear to us and we are very thankful for all of them :-) My dad has also been cared for and loved on by Shae's family (Mikey's in-laws). They are our family now, and we love them!!

Kit had the awesome privilege of speaking

at Edgewater Church in Southern Oregon!! I know it touched his heart to be able to do that, and it also touched the hearts of the people in that congregation!

God is good :)

The last thing I want to mention is that Kit's oncologists would like him to start a new med which has a 25% chance of working and has similar side effects as chemotherapy. Basically, my dad would be taking the chance of becoming more sick with infection for a fairly small chance that it could make him better. Kit would be really grateful for your prayers on this decision...as would we!

Much Love,
Maisha

Updates On Kit's Oregon Visit

I just found out from Buddy that Mikey will not be wrestling in the tournament this weekend because of his hurt knee and toe. We're so happy that at least my dad got to see Mikey wrestle last weekend (although, sadly, he missed making it to nationals by 2 spots).

I know my dad is so proud of Mikey! Another blessing is that my dad got to see his two sisters-in-law and much of my mom's family...they came up from Northern California :)

My dad started to have a reaction (hives) to the antibiotic so he's going to stop the antibiotic and take benadryl tonight. We pray that he has no complications over there and that he makes it home safe to Maui for Christmas!

Thanks for the love and support :-)

Maisha

AS OF MONDAY 11/24/08: Kit has stopped his antibiotics and his allergic reaction has gone down and he has no fever...thanks for your prayers :)

Thank You Prayer Warriors - The Oregon Trip Update

Thank you for all your prayers especially for Kit's trip to Oregon. Here's what Maisha said when I asked how Kit is doing:

...My dad is doing pretty well. He's so excited to be in Oregon with Mikey ,and he got to watch Mikey wrestle 5 wrestling matches last weekend. He has not gotten sick (he did start antibiotics before he left, which we were very thankful for) and his energy level is pretty good!

He will be there for another week, so continued prayers would be great, especially for the flight home :)

Attention Prayer Warriors

Aloha. This is Liza posting here. Maisha wrote a note on her Facebook and I took the liberty to re-post it here so that the Prayer Warriors who are not a members of Facebook but are visiting this blog regularly can pray specifically and fervently. Here's the request:

He (Kit) got a blood test done yesterday and his immune system is very low (especially in fighting off bacteria). His red blood cells which supply oxygen and energy are also steadily dropping. We are very thankful that he has not had any infections and that he had enough energy to be at my birthday party and speak at two services! My main prayer is for him traveling to Oregon...he plans to visit my brother in a little more than a week, and he will be very vulnerable on the plane. Thanks for all the love and support.
Much love,
Maisha

Kit speaking Sunday both services

I will be speaking at both services this Sunday about 'The Season of Loss'. Like all the seasons of the weather our lives go through seasons as well. Some season of life are warm like summer, some seasons are full of brilliant colors and change like fall, some seasons of life are full of hope and newness like spring, and some seasons of life are cold and bitter like a harsh winter. The season of loss is a tough season to get through for most of us. It often times shakes our faith and causes us to question everything including God. But, even though God allows a season of loss in our lives He doesn't want those losses to crush us. He wants to strengthen us and encourage us during the toughest times of our lives. God wants to teach us and guide us through seasons of loss in order that He can continue to use our lives and testimonies to help others to make it through to Him as well. The Apostle Paul made a statement to the effect that his losses meant nothing compared to the surpassing glory of knowing Christ...that somehow his [Paul's] personal suffering brought him closer to the suffering of Christ. The Father knows loss...after all He gave His only Son for each one of us to have true life. In the midst of our greatest losses is the Lord Himself telling us it's ok...it will be alright...for all the losses we experience in this life, as painful as they are, cannot compare to what He has in store for those of us who trust and believe in Him. May God encourage you in your time of loss, to know that this loss is only for a moment and then He [God] will make all things right...He has sealed this promise with the life blood of His only Son...for He is God and He cannot lie...so hold onto His promise my dear one!


This message, 'The Season of Loss', will be available on mp3 at hopechapelmaui.com mid-week of November 3rd


Please continue to pray for WBC's and RBC's to go up to normal range. Also pray for my planned to trip November 14th -28th to watch my son wrestle in Oregon (pray for protection from illness on the plane and throughout the trip). God is doing a great miracle in me!

With much gratitude for you persistent love,
kit

giving it away!

I know a lot of family and friends visit the blog to get an update on how I am doing and that kind of care and concern is never taken for granted. I just want you to know that your love and prayers are keeping me free from sickness and even causing my blood counts to go up. My WBC went up this last week, which is a miracle and so did my Red blood cell count. I need both whites and reds to improve even more, especially the whites (the ones that fight disease), so please keep up the prayers. But, as much as I like your prayers and feel your love I really don't want this blog to just be about me. I want it to be about you and your walk with the Lord. I want my life to be about serving you, otherwise it becomes a self centered, lonely place. I believe we were created to give ourselves away to one another. After all, Jesus did say in order to really gain life we must lose it for His sake and if we try to hold onto our life in this world we lose real life. (Matt. 16:24) How true that is! I think we feel the best about our lives when we are giving ourselves away to others. When we lay down our life for our husbands and wives, our families, our children our friends, even for the stranger in need...life, true life fills our hearts and we get a real sense of accomplishing something valuable, something truly worthwhile. It isn't so much the number of years God gives us, but what we do with those years that really counts. When you take the time to pray for your friends and family and others you are doing something that is captured by God for all eternity. When you give to others from your resources, your time, your concern, your love...you are storing up treasures Jesus says. Someday there will be no more pain and suffering and loss and hurt, but in this world we do and will have troubles and problems, troubles and problems that threaten to take away our joy and our peace. The greatest antidote to these troubles and problems is love...the love of God available to us unlimitedly and it is activated by being other centered....by getting our eyes off ourselves and onto those around us. God provides the needs of others as an opportunity to express His love through each of us as we respond in unselfish love and concern and compassion. Yes, these times are tough with economic uncertainty and all kinds of problems in our lives...I should know... but I also know that God loved us so much He gave...and that is what we are to do...give...give of ourselves just as you have given to me. I want to be able to give to you...so I want you to know I pray for you...I keep giving messages, I keep teaching, I keep this blog going not only to keep you informed on what God is doing in my life but so that you would be encouraged in your life. There is no problem too big, no valley too dark and deep that God can not reach us and turn our broken and scared and hurt heart around for His glory. Life is found in giving our life away to others, for this is true life, life everlasting...all that is done in and through His love remains forever. We know this because God has placed this truth within our hearts... and that is why when we give ourselves away we gain more real life. So don't be timid or afraid the Lord says, but be courageous for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go! (Joshua 1:9)

May the Lord empower your life today to do what is right and good in His sight!
In His love
kit

You keep me going!

Thank you for all your prayers and support...please keep it up. I was able to teach two Friday Nights in a row and that was a wonderful privilege for me. My energy levels are pretty good. My white blood cell counts are still low (keep praying them up) which keeps me from being around a lot of people, especially if they are sick or have been exposed to anyone sick. I wear a doctor's mask (after all I am a Doctor of Philosophy...hee hee..) before and after services and whenever I go into places where there are lots of people. You should see the reaction I get at the bank when I walk in with my mask on (do you want it all in large bills?...just kidding)...also people see me with that mask and walk several feet around me hoping they don't catch anything (I find that interesting). But, overall, the Lord has been very gracious to me. I haven't had to have a blood transfusion since I got out of the hospital and my overall health has been good. Every once and a while I get my eyes off the Lord and start thinking my life is going to be required of me here real soon and then I weep a bit, but the Lord helps me to not feel sorry for myself (it is really just the thought of leaving my loved ones that makes me sad) and God reminds me that we all have only so many days here on planet earth anyway and that my eternal destiny in Him is secure and my job is to just live out each moment He gives me to the fullest and leave the rest to Him. So that is what I am doing... and your love and support and prayers help keep me going. Please pray that all my blood counts would go to the normal range, that God would heal me miraculously and that He will keep me healthy enough to teach Sunday November 5th and then be able to go see my son, Mikey (in Oregon), wrestle November 14th through the 28th enjoying thanksgiving with him and his new wife Shae and the relatives. My prayer for you today is that God would give you a real peace regardless of what you are going through, knowing that as you rest in Him, He guards and protects your heart and mind. He is forever faithful to all who love Him and in His right hand is life eternal, a gift of love that no one can take from you because you believe in His one and only Son.

I love you dearly and I thank God everyday for your prayers and support!
kit