May 1st, 2012

         Now that I can now finally breathe with school work and graduation around the corner, I hope to continue the blog back to the way it was.  I thank all of you for your kind words that have stuck with me through this whole ordeal.  With this unfortunate card that Spencer has been dealt, he along with Lindsay, family and friends have used it as a platform to showcase their faith in Christ.  Over the past weeks we have seen true love in the fullest virtue.  This amazing couple has touched our hearts, pulled at our emotions, and strengthened our faith in what our Lord and Savior is possible of doing.  He has given Spencer perspective during this time.  Instead of saying why me,  he continually amazes us by the courage God is giving him and by the pure love that is felt towards Lindsay, family and friends.   

      Spencer has recently finished his appointment at Duke hospital where doctors have begun his plan for treating this disease.  Immunotherapy is the the treatment he will be receiving.  He will begin the 90 minute procedure for the first time Tuesday, May 8th.  Every three weeks he will return back to Duke for another procedure.  He will have this procedure done four times.  Hopefully this will help shrink some of the tumors, and symptoms Spencer is facing.  

     Spencer recently celebrated his 25th birthday this last Sunday and I know that there are plenty of more to come.  We also had relay for life this last Friday at South Central, where Marie Manning put together an "Against All Odds" team.  We thank everyone who played a part in either helping set up our booth, donating, or just coming out to participate in the walk.  It was an eye-opener for us all.  To see so many people dealing with this ugly disease, and participating in an effort to continually fight an up-hill battle.  

     The last thing I would like to say is a little bit more personal.  Spencer has always been my role model to me growing up.  I remember an assignment in high school where we had to define a role model, and explain who our role model was.  To this day I don't think I ever told Spencer it was him that I wrote about.  I wasn't ashamed or embarrassed, but I believe that just like any brothers it is hard to get emotional. Recently, through a lot of prayer to continually see the positive in this situation I remembered a sermon that I once attended at Covenant.  This particular sermon was on boys becoming men, and girls becoming woman.

     This sermon spoke about God's expectations for us as his children.  We have all seen the MAN that Spencer has become and the WOMAN of faith Lindsay has demonstrated.  In this horrible, tragic and unimaginable situation that Spencer and Lindsay Hampton are faced with, I want everyone to challenge themselves.  Jimmy Valvano once said "To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."  

       A MAN shows his emotions.  He tells his mother that he loves her, and appreciates her.  He talks to God as if he was talking to his best friend.  He isn't afraid to stray from the norm, and cry.  Cry in laughter, cry in sorrow and cry in prayer.  You must allow time in thought.  When you do this, you allow yourself to hear God.  You continually find ways to serve him, and become a better Christian.  Women help us become better servants of the Lord.  You show us how God has blessed us all.  That you are his symbols of beauty, love, and innocence.  You're a princess and deserved to be treated as such.  You are our teachers and more than that a rock for us to lean on.  

      I myself face this battle everyday as boy trying to become a MAN of Christ.  I know that I thank Spencer and Lindsay along with my beautiful Mother and Father everyday for being such great models.  Mr. Bob and Mrs. Sara have done an amazing job and have shaped Man that Spencer has become.  This is an imperfect world, and we will always come short during our days serving the Lord, but I hope that with this platform we have been given, we can grow a little more in our faith everyday.  That we can help demonstrate to everyone what Spencer and Lindsay have demonstrated for us on a daily basis.  I love you all, and GOD BLESS.

Joshua 1:9

       Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”