Three Things She Learned

One of the cards sent to me during the "divine mix-up" of birthday gifts from my sister went along to the hospital with me during my cancer surgery this past week. I would like to share it with all of you today.

In hard times

she had learned

three things~

She was stronger ~

than she ever imagined.

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Philippians 4:13 (paraphrased) "I can do all things through Christ who continually pours His strength into me."

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Jesus was closer

Than she ever realized

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Joshua 1:9 " Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. The Lord God is with you wherever you go."

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She was loved

More than she ever knew.

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I Corinthians 13~ The "Love Chapter"...."If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

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My surgery went very very well. The cancer was Grade 1 "moderate" as it went into 20% of the tissue surrounding it. I will not need radiation and as soon as the results of the lymph nodes come back we will know for sure what lies ahead. I had NO major reactions to anything. This in and of itself is a miracle! We are praising God for being in the details of every single part of this process. Humbled and amazed we are giving thanks to God, and to each of you for your prayers and support. Many thanks.

Visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for inspirational posts to read or share. www.bloggerspirit.blogspot.com

I Am Home

Surgery went very well. No bad reactions, no complications. Praising God! Thank you for all your prayers. More later.

Memorial Box Monday: God Answers When We Ask

Today's Memorial Box Monday story just happened over the weekend. My birthday was on Saturday and unbeknown to me, my husband Joel had been wanting to find me my own Memorial Box since I started sharing about Linny's Memorial Box Monday posts at A Place Called Simplicity. We wanted our own place to help remind us of God's grace and love in our lives.

As I have written before I will be having surgery for uterine cancer, actually tomorrow morning, and our days have been busy with preparing mentally, physically, and spiritually for this major event. Due to my reactions to chemicals and other health issues, it will be a bit more challenging. (Although nothing is too challenging for our God!) Joel had been looking for something to purchase for our "memories and reminders" but nothing had come up in the short amount of time he had to look. We knew it would need to be something older that was "outgassed" of any chemical smells. Last Thursday he was going to go to one more second hand shop, and as he was driving he prayed for God to help him find just the right Memorial Box for my birthday. Shortly after he saw a sign for a new consignment shop and followed the directions to get there. Inside he found not only 1 but 2 beautiful glass 3o inch high cupboards with glass doors that would make perfect Memorial Boxes. AND to top it off, they did NOT have any fragrance or wood finish smells that I would react to!! Much to his delight he was able to purchase it for only $35.00. I was so surprised and happy when I received this special gift from a loving husband and gracious God. He is definitely in the details of our lives.

I just had to share a photo of my very first memorial Box and the extra meaning behind it. Not only did God answer Joel's urgent prayers for this seemingly small request, He reminded us once again that he will also answer our prayers for my surgery and recovery. I look forward to filling this box with old reminders and new memories of God's goodness and grace in the years to come!

Spiritual Sundays: Can You Really Trust Me?

I have been reading my devotional book, "God Calling" again, and this past week it has been nourishing my soul with living water. It is written as if God was talking to you one on one. Today I would like to share one day's writing with you.

Courage

I am here.

Fear not.

Can you really trust me?

I am a God of Power

As well as a Man of Love

so human

yet so divine.

Just trust.

I cannot

and will not fail you.

All is well.

Courage.

Many are praying for you both.

A friend told me that while she was praying for my surgery on Tuesday she saw Jesus in the operating room standing at the end of the table, holding my feet in His hands. Micey from Spiritual Sundays who is an operating room nurse, commented on last week's post I had written and reminded me that God would be doing the surgery ~ the doctors and nurses are only His instruments. She went on to say that I would never be alone in the OR. The skilled staff and God would be with me. Another friend also told me to visualize taking all the people praying for me into the operating room. See them forming a circle around me and praying throughout the surgery. Wow. Comments like this and the many many who are praying for me here, in my corner of the world, and beyond have humbled me. Thank you for your prayers. I know God is with me. It is all in His hands. I am blessed.

God is with you too. Whatever storms you are facing. Whatever challenges lie ahead. Fear Not. Take courage. He is here. He walks with us. He is our Stormwalker. We are blessed to call Him Savior.

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If you wish to be a part of Spiritual Sundays drop over and visit Ginger and Charlotte at http://www.bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

An Old Irish Prayer

This prayer seems to hold a special blessing today for me and I wanted to share it with you. Maybe it is my Irish ancestry that has come calling. I have a plaque that hangs on my wall that comes from a Celtic company in Canada...something to do with monks I believe. The calligraphy prayer is one of a kind that came framed in old wood with a cross etched on the side.

Deep peace of the running waves to you.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace of the smiling stars to you.

Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you.

Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you...

An Old Irish Prayer

Memorial Box Mondays: The Divine Mix-Up

I wrote about this recently for Spiritual Sundays but felt it needed to be shared as a story for Memorial Box Mondays. If you wish more information about MBM, and want to learn how the stories we share remind us of God's goodness in our lives, please go to Linny's blog, A Place of Simplicity. Her link is on my sidebar.

My sister Jan ordered me a birthday gift from Dayspring Company this past week. Along with the gift she had ordered me a couple of packets of cards since I enjoy cards and stationary so much. When I opened the gifts and started reading the cards, I realized they were almost all meaningful for me at this time in my life. I will be having surgery on March 23rd for uterine cancer. I have Lyme Disease, CFS, and many many allergies that make surgery more risky to begin with, and now facing cancer seems more than a little daunting. We are hopeful since it is the slow growing kind it will be self-contained and not have spread. There are a lot of unknowns that have fear camping out in my living room too much of the time. God has been in the details of my life every step of the way, reassuring me that I am not alone, and this story is one of those times.

After opening my gifts, I read through all the cards and decided I need to keep some of them for myself as they were so comforting. I called my sister Jan and told her thank you, and how much the cards spoke to me. I jokingly told her I was going to sign her name to some of them and keep them to read for encouragement. Here is where God comes into the details.

Jan said to me, "I know you like the Wooley brand of cards, so I ordered some for you."

I replied, "Jan, I did not get any Wooley cards, the cards were by Max Lucado and Roy Lessin."

She said, "Oh there must have been a mix-up or substitution."

I said, "If there was a mix-up, Jan, this was a divine mix-up. I think I am going to sign God's name to these cards!"

God knew just what I needed to hear during this time of anxiety and fear of the unknown. One of the cards had a verse I have been reading almost every day ~ Isaiah 41:10, another quoted Matthew 10:30 about God being in every detail of our lives....another had Isaiah 40:31 (wings of eagles).....There were 11 cards of the 15 that gave me comfort and assurance to face my present circumstances knowing GOD IS IN THE DETAILS. That He is walking with me. Amen and Amen!

I am going to keep these cards to put in my memorial box as a wonderful reminder of an awesome, loving God. I don't know everything my future holds, but I know who holds my future, therefore I need not be afraid.

God Is In The Details

Matthew 10:30 (The Message)

"He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail ~ even numbering the hairs on your head."

This past week we have seen God working in the all the details as we prepare for my cancer surgery on March 23rd. I want to express here how much your prayers and encouraging thoughts have helped me as I go through this process.

Isaiah 30:21 says, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'"

Last week when this verse in Isaiah popped up, we grabbed on to it and claimed this promise, continually asking God to show us the way ~ where to have surgery, when, how to deal with my extensive allergies and sensitivities, etc. He has done that, and more. My Lyme specialist and her staff bent over backwards to help us make these decisions, and my GYN surgeon is open to my special needs. God has shown up in the details.

What I want to share is another small way God revealed how He is in the details of my life. My sister Jan sent me a birthday gift from Dayspring. Along with that she had ordered me some cards to send out to others. She knows how much I love cards and stationary~! I called to thank her for the gifts and shared how helpful the cards were. Several were absolutely what I needed to hear for myself, at a time when fear decided to camp out in my living room. I told her I thought I would just sign her name on them and keep them for encouragement! (smile). She then said, "Well, I know you like the Wooley brand cards, so I wanted to send some." I said to her, "Jan I did not get any Wooley cards, I got a number of encouragement cards from Max Lucado!" As we both realized that a "divine mix-up" had occurred for me, I told her, "I don't think I will sign your name to the cards, I think I will sign God's! He knew exactly what I needed to hear." God was in the details of even this. I am amazed and yet I should not be, at how He has walked us through this past week...one test, one procedure, one appointment, one birthday gift at a time. He will walk with us through the coming days too. If He knows the number of the hairs on my head, He knows just what I need at this time in my life.

Are you feeling lonely or forgotten today? Don't believe it! God loves us so much He is weaving His grace through the smallest details of our lives. We are deeply loved by a powerful God.

Stop over to Spiritual Sundays to read encouraging and inspirational posts. www.bloggerspirit.blogspot.com

Thankful Thursday Thinking

Today I am thankful for God being in the details of our lives. A story to share.....

On Tuesday I went to the lab to talk to radiology as I was going to have a CT scan on Wednesday concerning the uterine cancer. I was told by my doctor that I would not be having the IV contrast as I have so many allergies, but the radiologist told me I needed to have both the oral and IV contrast. He told us hardly anyone reacts and it does not really matter if you are allergic to seafood....that is an old wives tale. We reluctantly agreed....While Joel went to get the van I sat in a chair by the clergy office and as worry filled me I prayed. I looked up and there on the wall was a cross with the words above it ~ Go In Peace. I knew God would be in the details of this test too.

I started taking the oral contrast the next morning after a heavy dose of prayers. I had an appointment that morning with my GYN so we headed over to that, contrast in hand. When he saw me he asked, "Now you are having a CT today?" I said, "Yes, I am drinking the contrast now." He replied, "You are having contrast?" I said, "Yes and they told me I had to have the IV contrast too." He said..."I told them NO CONTRAST." He talked to his nurse and gave me an order that said NO CONTRAST on it. I decided to finish the oral contrast but when we got to radiology at the hospital we showed them the order. The tech was still told by the radiologist to talk to me about the IV contrast. Scare tactics were used to try to get me to change my mind. Joel said "NO". Period. We went forward with the test as is, praying nothing more would be found.

So I believe that God was in the details of this too. From the time we went to the doctor until last night we talked to 5 people who had bad reactions to the IV Contrast. One stopped breathing and had to be revived. My own GYN felt he was dying and had to have steroid shots to stop the reaction. One had hives for a year. Another said they had a terrible reaction and would never have it again. Another said hives showed up. Now, I know that most people can handle this stuff...but I am not most people. I react to fragrances, cleaning supplies, wood smoke, gas, ~ you name it! For now I could avoid this risk. This was God working in the details.

I am very grateful today for God's interest in the smallest things in my life. Grateful that He provided me with a cross on a wall telling me to walk forward in PEACE. Today as I face an unknown future, I am more aware than ever of who holds the future....

Memorial Box Mondays

Memorial Box Mondays was created by Linny at her blog, A Place Called Simplicity (listed at the right). You can go there to find out more information about MBM's and also read what others have written.

Today I am remembering an event from 1979! We were living in a small town in central Montana where Joel was working as a seminary intern for a local congregation. Our family had moved there for 1 year and then would return to MN for Joel to finish seminary. On one February day, Joel was having a lot of pain that turned out to be his appendix. A friend, Ron, offered to drive Joel and I to a hospital 90 miles away. Another friend took our 4 children home with her as Joel, Ron, and I headed out in a snow storm. It was touch and go at times and we were praying hard that Joel's appendix would not burst before we got there. Sometimes our friend Ron was driving 100 mph across that flat part of Montana....in a snow storm..... I don't know how he could see to drive. Needless to say prayers were keeping us on the road. We arrived at the hospital in record time and a surgeon we had never met before took Joel in for immediate surgery. The doctor said the appendix was ready to burst. We spent 4 days in the hospital because the blizzard closed all the roads down. The doctor offered me one of his family's cars to drive, and he and his wife offered me a place to sleep in their home! Now that is Montana hospitality at its best. I chose to stay close to Joel sleeping on the floor beside him until a cot eventually was brought into the room for me. All the "circumstances" fell into place for Joel that night. A gifted surgeon with a big heart, a good friend to drive like the wind, and a place for our children to stay. I would put a small snow globe in my Memorial Box to remind me of this time when God's plans came together to bring Joel through a medical emergency.

This is especially important for me to remember at this time since I was just diagnosed last Friday with uterine cancer. I already live with Lyme Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. These illnesses have weakened my immune system and caused me to have a multitude of chemical reactions to medications, cleaning supplies, fragrances, plastics, etc. that make surgery even more risky. As we digest this new diagnosis and what it means, as we try to put everything into place for a safe surgery, and as we wait to see exactly what I am facing, we remember that God guided us during a snow storm, a fast car ride, and in the operating room. He will do so in the coming weeks too! I remember that God's grace and goodness get us through the tough times...and that every day is a gift.

Standing In The Need Of Prayer

Do you remember the spiritual Standing In The Need Of Prayer?

"It's me it's me it's me oh Lord"

Standing in the need of prayer...

It's me it's me it's me oh Lord

Standing in the need of prayer.

Not my brother, nor my sister

No, it's me oh Lord

Standing in the need of prayer......

At times in our lives we all stand before our Lord in need. A need that comes from deep inside. It is where I find myself.

First of all, thank you to those who came by my blog last week and offered to pray for me. I felt your prayers as they carried me through the week. If I may so humbly request, I am asking for prayers again as I now face surgery for uterine cancer. It appears to be a slow growing cancer so that is good news. What complicates matters for me, are my low levels of health due to Lyme Disease and all the reactions I have to medications, fragrances, chemicals, plastics, etc. It makes surgery and staying in a hospital risky for me.

God has been showering us with scriptures to deal with our worries, and the many decisions that need to be made concerning this surgery and where to have it. I must share two that brought both Joel and I comfort this week. Two scriptures blessed us two days in a row in two different ways. Leave it to God to make sure we get the message! I hope it blesses you too.

Proverbs 3:5,6

"Trust in the Lord in all your ways and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Isaiah 30:21,22

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice saying, "this the is way, walk in it.' Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold...you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, 'Away with you!"

As we come before the Lord we say, "It's me Lord! Here I am standing before you in the need of prayer" And as only a Heavenly Father can, he blesses us in our times of need.

Join us at www.bloggerspirit.blogspot.com. Thank you Ginger and Charlotte.

Thankful Thursday Thinking

Today I am giving thanks for all those who shared comments with me concerning the secondary medical problem I am dealing with. All your prayers carried me through this week of another procedure and the long wait for the biopsy results. Hopefully tomorrow the wait will be over and we will be able to take action as we make decisions concerning our options ahead.


Today I am giving thanks for scriptures giving me wisdom and comfort. Proverbs 3, :5,6 and Isaiah 30:21, 22 have come to me more than once in the past couple of days through devotionals and other resources.

I am thankful that I can trust God. Life is not always fair, but God is good and can be trusted.

I am very thankful for my husband Joel, his steady, never unwavering love for me over the years. I always say I know how much God loves me because he brought Joel into my life.

I am blessed.

Three Words Wednesday

TRUST

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IN

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GOD

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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5,6