December 16th

Dear Friends,

The 16th of December will mark the four-year anniversary of Travis' first seizure and our ultimately learning of the brain tumor. Travis had his most current MRI about a month ago and everything looks great. He is really doing well and at his appointment the doctor was just amazed at how he is doing. On Friday, December 9th, Travis, his father, mother, brother and sister-in-law attended a meeting at MD Anderson with Dr. Fred Lang, who performed the surgery. Dr. Lang is doing some amazing research related to brain tumors and the use of the common cold virus to attack brain tumors. It has great potential and the early results look highly encouraging. Dr. Lang had not seen Travis in four years as Travis was passed off to an oncologist after the surgery. After Dr. Lang talked to Travis, he told his dad how great Travis looked and appears to be doing. He also told him a great story. I would like to pass it along to you.
After Travis had his surgery and radiation treatment, we decided we needed a vacation. So the two of us flew to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and spent a few days. We went on a chartered fishing trip and caught some marlin fish. After we returned, Travis sent Dr. Lang a picture of us with one of the marlin. Travis wrote on the picture, “Three months after brain surgery. Thanks Dr. Lang!” Dr. Lang passed along to Travis' dad that he has framed Travis’ picture and put it up on the wall of his office. He said that he uses it when he has people who come to see him to discuss their brain surgery. After explaining the many dangers involved, he shows them Travis’ picture. Dr. Lang says the picture has been a big hope to people who need hope at that time! Isn’t it amazing how God can use terrible things to send wonderful messages! This Christmas season, I am reminded that God did just that when he sent His son Jesus to earth to be born, live among us and then die on the cross for our sins. That is where the ultimate hope is and we stand in awe that God has shown favor on Travis and is using his life as a vessel for hope to be experienced by others. As always we want to THANK YOU for all of your support, encouragement and prayers through these past four years. There is no doubt in my mind that God surrounded us with a faith family who went before the Lord on bended knee and now look at how God is using us.

Praise God, we feel very blessed!

"How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. " Psalm 31:19

The Black Family wishes you and yours a very happy Christmas!

February 18th MRI check up

I am on a quarterly MRI schedule now and had my most recent check up on Feb, 18th. Everything looked great and all appears to be stable. My next scheduled appointment will be in June. Thanks for your continued prayers these appointments are always stressful.
Travis

3 year survivor!

I wrote this on January 10th, the 3 year anniversary of my operation. "Three years ago from the time I’m writing this I still had few more hours of surgery to go. I had already been on the table for 12 hours. Many of you had spent a long day or were about to spend some long nights at the hospital in support of Jennifer and me. Other’s had sent up many prayers through out the day. Each year as this anniversary comes up I reflect on how blessed Jennifer and I are to have such great family and friends like you to help us get through life’s curveballs. While there have been many and sometimes continue to be moments of fear or doubt I am comforted by the fact that God has used this experience to draw me and many who have witnessed my experience closer to him. In my weakness He is strongest. In my moment of great sorrow I cried out to Him and he answered by giving my surgeon “The most successful operation of his career” and me a full recovery. So, on this third anniversary of my brain surgery I give thanks and praise to God for you and for what he has done in me. Go count your blessings I’m sure they are all around you."

To God Be the Glory!

Travis had his appointment yesterday and the oncologist said that everything on the MRI looks great! There has been no change at the tumor cavity site and everything looks stable. We were also surprised to hear that Travis can now go every four months for an MRI check-up instead of every 3 months. Thank you so much for the prayers for our family. We believe that prayer is a huge part of why Travis is a living testimony of Gods miracles. To God be the Glory!

Jennifer

God is still working miracles...daily

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

“God Is! God Is!”

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

f I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Psalm 139:8 (NIV)

It is the normality not the uniqueness of God's miracles that causes them to be so staggering. Rather than shocking the globe with an occasional demonstration of deity, God has opted to display his power daily. Proverbially. Pounding waves. Prism-cast colors. Birth, death, life. We are surrounded by miracles. God is throwing testimonies at us like fireworks, each one exploding, "God is! God is!"

The psalmist marveled at such holy handiwork. "Where can I go from your Spirit?" he questioned with delight.

"Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there" (PS 139:7-8 NIV).

We wonder, with so many miraculous testimonies around us, how we could escape God. But somehow we do. We live in an art gallery of divine creativity and yet are content to gaze only at the carpet.

We are truly witnessing a miracle at work with each occuring MRI and follow-up appointment. Travis had his 3 month check up and appointment and the MRI remains "un-changed, with no new tumor growth". For almost two years this has been the report and we praise God for His goodness. Going into this we never expected God to declare Travis to be healed or cured from cancer or from the tumor, although we know that we serve a mighty God that can do so and we would give Him all of the glory if this is what he is planning for Travis and our family. We do however count each appointment, in which we hear the doctor say "everything looks great and there is no change", as a miracle in itself. Thank you God for each miracle. That is why this devotion speaks volumes to us and we hope it does to you also. As Max Lucado says : "It is the normality not the uniqueness of God's miracles that causes them to be so staggering. Rather than shocking the globe with an occasional demonstration of deity, God has opted to display his power daily. Proverbially. Pounding waves. Prism-cast colors. Birth, death, life. We are surrounded by miracles." Our family has been blessed with many miracles lately with the birth of our second son Connell James and now with this great doctors report. We thank God for showing us His miracles daily and quarterly with Travis' MRI and follow-up appointments. We hope you find the daily miracles He abundantly gives to you also!

Testimony

Recently the pastor of our church, Bear Creek Baptist Church, preached a sermon series How to Recover from your Worst Day Ever. During the series they interviewed people who had experienced their "worst day ever". We were asked to share about finding out Travis had cancer and how God has walked us through it. It was very intense for us to recall all of the events that have brought us to today, but know that God has a far more powerful ending to our story. Our prayer is that someone's life is reached for His glory through this testimony. If you would like to view the video or the sermon, click on the link below. Please share the link with as many people as you would like. You never know how it will touch someone's life.

http://www.bearcreekchurch.tv/other-videos

Travis and Jennifer

New MRI report 8/21/09

Well, after waiting over a week to get the results from last Thursday's MRI I'm glad to say that everything looked great. God continues to show me his grace and faithfulness. The tumor cavity in my brain seems to be getting a little smaller. I still have a hole in there about the size of my ear. In the picture above the tumor site is the black circle on the left. The left is actually the right side of my head because the MRI is a mirror image. By the time I go in for my next MRI we should have a new baby boy, and a new house. The next one will be after Thanksgiving. Thanks for checking in on me. I appreciate all of your prayers, which seem to be working.

Travis