Update 1: September 26

Dearest Friends—old and new,
 
I just updated all my e-mail contacts and made this group list for personal
updates. If you do not want to receive my updates or you want to receive
them at another address, please let me know. You won't hurt my feelings at
all. And feel free to cancel your subscription at a later date.
 
Because I added some of you to my contacts only in the last hour, let me
make sure I have everyone updated to this point. Here's the stuff you need
to know. Are you sure you're ready for this? It's rather shocking.
Seriously, take a big breath before you read this.
 
July 20
I moved to Austin, TX.
Aug 11
My little sister died in a car accident.
Sept 21
I found out I have breast cancer.
 
You okay? Alright, here's what's going on today. I'm having a lumpectomy and
lymph node biopsy at 3:30 this afternoon. I'll be back home tonight. I
should receive the pathology reports by the end of the week. We'll determine
future treatments after that.
 
For those of you who are already on your knees . . . I'm not asking people
to pray for my healing. I'm certainly not asking you to stop praying for
that, though. Wouldn't that make a great God story? But when you lose your
little sister, you gain a whole new perspective of life and death. I used to
think I believed in Heaven. Now I know I do. I'm so glad I found out about
this cancer after Ashley died and not the other way around. I've realized
that test results and health conditions are really not that important. What
is important is that God loves me. So when you tell my story and ask your
friends to pray for me, don't ask them to pray for my healing. Ask them to
pray that I'll know God loves me.
 
Thanks for letting Him love me through you,
Melody
 
"May your unfailing love be my comfort" (Ps 119:76).