The Life and Times of Jon Graves

Sometimes you just have to laugh

We watched a moment or two of the Academy Awards tonight...just enough to see Jennifer Hudson (hope that's correct) win for her role in Dreamgirls. Her first words were, "...Look what God can do!" Cool. It's really neat to see people in any walk of life who aren't afraid or ashamed to tell people about how great God is. It's inspiring.

The past week has seen a few bumps in the road. Last Sunday, our oldest son got sick with a fever that seemed never to go away. Days later, the fever was accompanied by a "barky" cough. He's just getting over it, but he unfortunately gave it to his younger brother, his dad, and now his mom. I can't complain, but that's the last thing Jeseca needs. All we can do is laugh and go to God for mercy.

God has been so good to us through this trial. The road has been hard and filled with unexpected turns, but God has been at the wheel. It seems like so long ago when we were coming home from the ER. The threat was (and is) so real. And yet, just as it says in the Bible, his yoke is light. He takes up our burdens and gives us peace in return. Frankly, I can't imagine going through such a trial as this without God. I don't know how people can cope without His peace. He is so amazing.

Each night I listen to Jeseca's heart beat as I embrace her in a hug. Her story is incredible: Her eye is bulging. The tumor in her liver has grown to nearly bowling ball size, making her look 4 months pregnant, and presses into her stomach and right lung. The activity in her chest still makes her cough. And there is still that little matter with the tumor in her throat. Yet I am brought to my knees in awe of Almighty God to hear her heart beat so perfectly.

Four months after we were married, Jeseca was in a car accident that should have killed her. Traveling about 50 mph in a newly purchased Nissan 300ZX (that was such a cool car), she was hit head-on by a drunk, off-duty fireman. The impact was so severe that it sent her car flying backward, in the air, 5 feet! The fireman was said to have been driving near 100 mph. But God was there in the car with her. She came away with bumps and bruises.

Now she battles cancer. But just as before, God has been here. He is here. And it appears it is His battle to fight. All we're doing is enduring the process, day by day. Which is why I have to laugh about all of us getting sick. At least I'm not in Job's shoes after all of the servants came to tell him the good news. JG

Labels: Jeseca's Fight Against Cancer

The Undertaker meets Mr. Graves

I had a chance today to work out with infamous WWE star, Marc Calloway, otherwise known as "The Undertaker." What a cool guy. I struck up a conversation with him between sets of tricep extensions. Turns out he has an event tomorrow night. We talked about wrestling, baseball and golf. My old roommate at Long Beach State, Jason Giambi, was a huge WWE fan; he wanted to make the change from baseball to wrestling at one point. Marc said he'd met Jason once before. I told him that if I ever made it to the PGA Tour I would look him up. He was good with that. Cool.

Completely unrelated, we are starting a new week again, and Jes is still going strong. I need to start working out with her more often, though; she says she feels pretty weak muscularly. Praise God we can still look forward to doing things like that together. I will have to ask her for a rematch in Chinese Checkers after my dismal performance tonight. I detest losing.

I have nearly completed David Jeremiah's book, Life Wide Open. There's so much to take from it. Most importantly is that God cares so much about how we live, and wants to empower us if we will only give our lives and dreams over to Him. It's always difficult not to take the wheel, though, you know?

Lastly, our hearts go out to my step-brother and his wife tonight, as their 2-year-old son must undergo treatment for a tumor in/behind his eye. I just can't imagine...God is in control, though. He always is. JG

Living it up for His glory

So much has happened in the last few days. Some friends of ours were, unbeknownst to us, calling around San Diego to set up a Valentine's Day date for us. As God would have it, they called Jeseca's favorite hotel in San Diego, the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, and ended up speaking with the general manager of the hotel, who proceeded to comp us a Saturday night stay in a suite that overlooked the ocean. An $800 suite! Thank you, Mr. Ullman, and thank you God! It was cool.

We also learned that my aunt and uncle got us San Diego Zoo passes for the year, which came just days after Jes and I discussed how great it would be to have passes again. Again, thanks God!

And last night Jes and I did a short spot for RockTV about what we are going through, how God has been faithful, and about our involvement in the Rock's marriage ministry. I hope we represented God appropriately. The spot focused mainly on Jeseca's fight against cancer and God's role in our lives; just another part of her story that we hope will reach more people for Christ.

Miles has been talking recently about how, as Christians, we are called to use our gifts and talents for His glory. We need to strive to use them well, not waste or bury them as the third servant did in the parable of the talents. It fits right in with what I've been reading for the past year. Beginning with the daily devotional Jes got me for Christmas in 2005, followed by Waking the Dead and Life Wide Open, God has been showing me that He cares deeply about what we do here on Earth, what I do, and that He has given me (and Jes) abilities that others don't have.

I told our oldest son a couple of weeks ago that his mom and dad are "Supers." His eyes lit up. It was such a neat conversation to have with him.

What I meant is that God has given us extraordinary talents. I have friends who don't know what they want to do in life; they don't have anything in their lives that would kill them if they had to give it up. Jes and I do. And we are doing all we can, even in the midst of this struggle, to use those talents to their fullest potential.

One more thing I want to share. When we returned from La Jolla two nights ago, Jeseca was really tired. In fact, she still is. The symptoms are getting harder to deal with and take their toll. That night we talked about it. She's tired of being sick, and I don't blame her. So after I prayed for her and she went to sleep, I silently cried out to God for help in understanding what He is going to do. Is she going to die, or is God going to heal her? What I see just doesn't match up with what we believe we have heard from God! So I closed my eyes and waited.......

I felt the urge to try to open up to the book of John, and in doing so, opened directly to Luke 4 and 5. The very first thing I read was the heading for the section, "Jesus Heals Many." Next was the story about Jesus rebuking the fever of Peter's mother-in-law; then how Jesus healed all who were brought to Him; then how Jesus called His first disciples; then how He healed the leper; then how He healed the paralytic. God was speaking to me, and the message was loud and clear. He will heal Jeseca.

I was blown away. I still am. I told Jeseca, too. At the very least it has given us more hope and faith that regardless what we see happening to her, there's a light at the end of this tunnel. Praise God for that.

Labels: Jeseca's Fight Against Cancer

In her own words

Jeseca received an email from one of the nurses at her oncologist's office today. She's a friend and wanted to know how Jeseca's feeling. (We haven't yet told the office that we are going to bypass the trach and take our chances with God.) Rather than explain it, I thought it would be nice to have Jeseca speak for herself, as she did in her reply to the nurse.

Nurse: "Jeseca, we haven't seen or heard from you in a few days and are getting worried. We are praying for you and your family daily. Please let us know what is going on. Is your breathing any better? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Jeseca: "That is very sweet of you guys. I am doing great! I was in the ER for a day, as you know. After we got home we called an emergency prayer meeting for the next morning; 20 people crammed into our little house, all crying out to the Lord on my behalf, along with everybody else across the country -- and even Europe -- that have heard my story over the years. That night I slept better than I had in a month! And I am continuing to get better. It has even been easier to swallow lately! God is good. Please tell everybody that I am doing good and that I am still my old self. Stubborn and full of life!"

Believe me when I say that her last statement is true. To God be the glory. JG

Labels: Jeseca's Fight Against Cancer

Holding Fast

Here we are beginning another week, and all I can say is that God is still walking beside us.

There's a song by Mercy Me that speaks about trials and how we need to "hold fast" to the promises of God in the midst of them. It begins, "To everyone who's hurting; to those who've had enough...please do not let go, I promise you there's hope. Hold fast, help is on the way; Hold fast, He's come to save the day." He's all we have to hold on to, and He's gotten us through each day since we returned from the ER last week. Thank God for His favor and mercy.

I'm sure it looks bad from the outside, but we still have hope in God; in Christ. He knows the number of our days, and He has a plan for our lives. Based on everything He's told us, we simply believe He will turn this around at the appropriate time...when that last person hears Jeseca's story and comes to know God because of it. We choose to think He's getting the biggest bang for the buck.

In the meantime, I can't wait to begin a new chapter in our lives when she is fully healed. She wants to use the talent God's given her to be a great artist. I know she will.

One last thought...I hope to begin broadcasting small video blog updates on Jes. She'll hate being on camera, but it will be fun. Stay tuned.

Thank God the Colts won!

Labels: Jeseca's Fight Against Cancer

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Sometimes you just have to laugh

Monday, February 19, 2007

The Undertaker meets Mr. Graves

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Living it up for His glory

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

In her own words

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Holding Fast

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