Category: Encouragement Posts

 

 

EEEEKKKKKK!  So excited to finally be able to write!  So much has gone on the last couple of days… and then nothing has gone on at the same time!

Biggest news probably:  I chopped off all my hair and shaved it all off.  I really wondered if I would have to make this decision or not.  I heard phrases like “your hair will thin where we are shooting you with radiation.” “you could lose some hair…”  “we just have to wait and see..”  Well we waited and we saw and I just couldn’t risk being slapped with an arrest warrant because clumps of my hair were found in some crime area or on a dead body.  It was a daily battle: me vs my hair.  I decided to be done with it.

So it was time.  I have to say, I struggled a bit with this idea.  I like the idea of pulling my hair up and being able to look like a “woman” and that includes doing my hair.  But, as Scott finished getting the rest of my hair off tonight, I just told the Lord “this is your plan and you have a purpose and darn it – this is the head you made and you said it was good.  So, let’s do this. Be glorified even in this!”

 

We had the most blessed weekend away at Lake Ouachita with the family.  Our summer travel plans had to be changed and I decided that it would be nice to be able to just go to the lake for a couple of days and relax.  It was a sweet weekend.  The kids had a good time and we were just able to just “be” without other things going on.  The good news/weird news is that we didn’t have great cell service blessing/harder living LOL so that really through all of us off.  Haven’t we just become too dependent on technology???!!!!  I wanted to blog 100 times and had to be positioned hanging with one foot off the deck and my hand on my head to get a bar going…so I just really tried to post a couple things at the 1 min opening I was given on my phone – ha!  So instead I spent time reading and really just soaking in the Lord for a couple hours every morning.  Loved my time with Him.  One of the blessings through this journey is being able to see my kids laugh as I laugh, dig into God’s Word and live to trust Him in EVEN in this.  There is no greater joy for me – no soccer win, no academic achievement, NOTHING will ever mean more to me than what I am seeing from them.  Praise God!  Here are some of our fun memories:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was blessed by many people the last few days!  Can I just remember to always get photos!  One of my sweet girls Hannah from my club team came up to get bracelets and waited on me to surprise me after treatment Friday.  Best hugs are from my girls.  Her family has been such a blessing and faithful prayer warriors for me.  Very thankful for their joy and love.

I had a great surprise today.  I got a message from a guy who used to ref make games and kept me in line when I thought “the game” was so important – kids were probably 10 Ha!  Anyway, Keith was always an excellent ref and I enjoyed his interaction with the players and me.  I met up with he and his wife Terri.  Here’s how the Lord works: Terri and I have never met, yet she knew one day, God told her to make me a quilt.  It is so awesome!  She has taken some of the verses off of my blogs and stitched them onto the quilt.  Today we got to hug and talk about what all the Lord is doing and I was blessed.  God is so great and good!

The Chumleys came over and brought us dinner.  Nikki and I have worked on soccer club stuff before and we are blessed to go to the same church.  Also, Kate is my little artist- and future hornet :).  Look at what she brought me!  So awesome!  Love it!

“FOR FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS. TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOREVER. AMEN”  Romans 11:36

In the last few days I have read so many things!  It’s hard for me to really hone in on what the Lord would want me to share…. His Word is just too amazing!

But, David…Ahhhh he is my kind of person.  All out worship and dedicated to fight for whatever the Lord calls him to.  Was he perfect, no. Infact he disobeyed God quite a few times. But, he came back to him humbled and ready to follow the Lord’s next steps.

He had brought back the Ark of the Covenent and was faithful to do the things the Lord required by His people to pay for their sin.  David loved music.  Of course we remember that he played the Harp even at a young age, but as you read through Pslams you can see his passion and desire to worship through song was evident.

1 Chronicles 16:41-43

⁴⁰ to present burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law of the Lord, which he had given Israel. ⁴¹ With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “for his love endures forever.” ⁴² Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family.

I love that David understood that he was a dad and husband and he had an obligation to BLESS his family-even while doing important things, like ruling a kingdom.  I imagine David going home enjoying his family, kissing everyone good night and walking aroud the palace.  As he gazes out over the kingdom a thought occurs to him and he summons Nathan the prophet.  David shares with Nathan that he thinks it’s not right that he is in such a palace and that Ark of the Lord’s covenant is in a tent – something big needs to be built.  Nathan tells David to do whatever he thinks should be done because the Lord is with him.

The Lord appears to Nathan later that same night to tell Nathan something else… The Lord tells Nathan …

 

David’s response is one of humility and honoring of the Lord.  WHO AM I that you would do all of this?  It wasn’t about David ever, his heart was focused on what the Lord desired and he never questioned it.  He knew the greatness of God and trusted and submitted to His will, not David’s will. 

²³ “And now, Lord, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised, ²⁴ so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you.

²⁵ “You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. ²⁶ You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁷ Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”

God is faithful and David just declares it here.  Do as you say and people will say these things…because it WILL happen.  I won’t see it with my own eyes, but this is what WILL happen because God is trustworthy and David knew it.  When God promises, He always fulfills. 

David went on after this to secure the kingdom and battle many other kings.  We are told twice in 18:6 and 18:13 that the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.  David followed the Lord’s will and heart and went on to do what the Lord called him to.  He never once questioned the Lord’s plan or why he wouldn’t be the one to build this huge massive house of worship.  He trusted the Lord’s plan and followed His will – and the Lord made David victorious.  

I love the word VICTORY! Victory is promised for those who choose to follow and obey the Lord, no matter what our hearts may think or desire.  We must choose to follow after the Lord and submit completely to His will for us.  It’s not easy.  We will want to revolt sometimes and do what we want to do.  But Victory is at stake here my friends.  And the Lord desires and promises to give it to us…

As I think about the journey that I have been on.  I could ask the Lord why can’t I sit around and build something pretty, but instead he’s called me to battle.  All I want is to say to the Lord what David said…

“Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁷ And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men.”

Who am I….Who am I … that you have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men?”  Bless you Lord – Bless you!

Here are some ways to continue to pray:

• Praise – everytime I am asked about how I am feeling, there seems to be some surprise that I am feeling pretty great.  So praise God people!
• Prayers that this radiation and chemo is targeting these tumors and killing them. My warriors are there battling and I am claiming VICTORY
• I am coming to the end of summer… eeek… haven’t spent much time on school stuff and I need to get going…so prayers for me to to focus on what I need to do for that and for my soccer teams.  Love these kids
• Prayers that the Lord will continue to hold me and just shine through.  Nothing encourages me and enables me to battle like hearing about how the Lord is working in people’s lives.  
• Continue to pray for the toxins to exit my body and for great energy – still feeling good!
• This week Scott is taking off to spend time at the house – so pray for great family moments together

 

 

 

 

Oh my goodness I had a blessed weekend!  A dear friend of mine flew in from Virginia to spend the weekend with me and we just talked and talked all weekend.  Her name is Kate and she and I both studied abroad in Monterrey, Mexico our Junior year of college for a semester.  She was in my wedding party and we were fortunate to see each other last summer when we went to DC and hit the east coast a bit.

I love that she is my sister in Christ and not just a roommate.  Course what we discovered, she has a better memory than me.  I’m going to blame the radiation…don’t know if that’s legit or not… but, it’s amazing as we looked at photos, how she remembered everyone’s names.  I couldn’t believe it!

We were able to go get a pedicure together and just “rest” together.  Nathan really enjoyed getting to know Kate and the two of them made slime together and he talked her ears off!  Time went so fast… but, what a blessing to have time to just sit and be reminded of memories and to just talk about what the Lord is doing in our lives.  Aren’t those just the best days?

So the older three left for church camp Saturday as well.  I had hoped to go this year and chaperone, but the Lord just had a different plan for me.  I have grown to love all the students at church like they were my own.  It was so great this year at school to be able to see so many of them as they were in my class, or came to my class to say hi.  Teens are the best.  You want an anti aging regiment?  Hang out with teens.  I have spent almost 20 years with teens at churches and there’s nothing else I would rather do.

Sunday night the house was quiet.  Only Nathan and Scott.  So we did our nightly walking around the block and just talking about how much has been going on and the many blessings we have received from so many of you.  I asked Nathan to take a picture of Scott and I …. the sunset was amazing!  God continually shouts to the world … “I’m here, don’t miss me… you won’t ever regret choosing me over everything else…”  And somehow, some of us choose to ignore Him and reject Him.

Well I have to admit.  I may reach my record for not washing my hair… haven’t gotten there yet…but losing hair is easier when it’s dry than when it was wet. Pretty much every time I brush my hair one stroke my brush looks like what’s below.  It’s crazy.   I did read that apparently as a blonde I have more hair follicles than any other hair color.  So it says I have 150,000 follicles …. so I have some hope that maybe I won’t lose all of it – ha.  I also discovered that in my big bald spot that I have some very short hair left…looks like a tattoo or something – but it’s in the shape of a “V” – so I’m claiming that means “Victory!” in Jesus name.

Was super blessed to be able to head down to Collide Camp and see Abbey, Ashton and Garrett and EVERY other awesome teen there.  We missed the ministry time so we just hung out and saw where they were staying and just watched them having fun with their friends.  Blessed to spend the weekend there.  Would you please pray for the pastor that is there from Tampa.  His daughter who is 14 is also battling cancer.  Her name is Josie.  And pray for lives to be transformed.  Thank you.

 

Here are some photos we took while we were there:

“The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.”

Psalm 6:9

As I opened up to read my Bible…I am telling you what.  With all the battles and warriors in the Old Testament I have a completely new perspective.  They were armed, prepared, had the proper equipment and the most important key to their success as they waged war was, did they listen to what God told them to do and did they trust completely that He would deliver them.  I just cheer now as I read… yes battle hard, you got this, fight warriors, fight.  And when God gets the angels involved I just get goose bumps because my warrior angels assigned to my case are valiant fighters and I can see them just using their bows and arrows taking out my tumors bit by bit.

In Acts Paul was still in prison and was in front of King Agrippa.  Paul began his defense by explaining about his past and that he himself was a zealous Jew until Jesus himself spoke to him and blinded him, so that he might come to believe that Jesus is who he said he is.  So here’s what Paul tells the king… (Acts 26:6-7)

“Now I am on trial because of my HOPE in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors.  In fact, that is why the twelve tries of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same HOPE I have.  Yet, your magesty, they accuse me for having this HOPE.”

Paul was explaining to Aggripa that he was on trial because he knew the fulfillment that he had looked for as a Jew had transpired.  The HOPE that everyone had longed to see.  People had been waiting for the Messiah since Adam and Eve  sinned in the garden and God promised again through Abraham – a Savior – the solution to the gap that was cut between God and people.  Paul didn’t believe Jesus was it, because he didn’t want to believe Jesus was it.  It took Jesus himself bringing Paul to his knees in order for him to understand and accept that Jesus was THE long awaited Messiah.  Paul goes on to tell Agrippa, Festus, Govenor Bernice and others ….

“BUT GOD (my favorite thing…) has protected me right up to this present time SO I CAN TESTIFY to everyone, fro the least to the greatest.  I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen – that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announe God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”  Acts 26:22-23

Paul knew what his mission was.  He knew why he was in chains and he had the birthright in order to be able to appeal and see the top people.  The question was how would these top leaders respond to the Truth of the gospel?  I wish I could say they were persuaded……

“Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane.  Too much study has made you crazy!”  But Paul replied, “I am not insane Most Excellent Festus.  What I am saying is the sober truth.  And King Agrippa knows about these things.  I speak boldly for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner!  King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets, I know you do…” Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”  Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”  Acts 26:24-29

When I look at the boldness with which Paul spoke to some very important people, they had power to decide what to do with him next.  These were men of highest importance, yet he had the boldness to proclaim Truth.  He desired that these men and everyone listening would come to believe the Truth that he was living.  The verses that come after this tell us the men all got up and hadn’t really considered the message that had been given.  Truth fell on deaf ears and they missed the greatest gift ever given.  These guys were so busy doing their “jobs” that they didn’t take time to consider WHAT Paul was actually saying.  He wasn’t trying to defend himself, he set out to proclaim Jesus to ALL that would listen and consider what it all meant.  He desired that people would hear about Jesus, consider Jesus, accept Jesus and live and proclaim Jesus.   

As I think about Paul, I feel where he’s at.  I started this blog with a picture of peace.  Paul had peace in each and every situation he faced.  No matter the consequences, he was set on sharing the Truth with anyone who would listen.  His desire was for the Lord to use him to bring people to Christ.  Remember Paul could’ve stayed with fellow Christians, gone other places to proclaim the Truth, but instead he knew he had been called to take the harder road.  He was at peace.

I thank the Lord a million times a day that He has filled me with His peace.  I know that what He has called me to isn’t easy.  I feel pretty confident, I wouldn’t have chosen it.  Even though I have prayed some pretty bold things lately.  But, I have seen him work in so many ways, that looking at it now, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on what all He has done.  So all Praise to Him!

I was joking around a bit with my radiation doctor today.  I told him that the first few weeks after my seizure and before we started battling the tumors, I would cry more than normal.  I’m not a huge crier.  But, one of the tumors is close to my emotional part of my brain.  He was explaining could be what I was doing then versus now.  And I told him, “No, I have done an hour and half of Bible study everyday and I used to just cry as I read through what the Lord was showing me.  Now, I’m reading the same amount, I am amazed and it still hits me but, I’m not needing a box of kleenex anymore.”  So we are going to see how my warrior angels have battled these tumors in this area, because I think they’ve knocked them back from that part of my brain and God has already removed some of the tumors that used to be there.  He smiled at me and said, “ok…well we will see.”  I love the people at CARTI – so fun.

Here are some ways you all can be praying for me:

• Continued energy and good sleep at night
• Pray that the tumors are being targeted well
• Continue to pray for the toxins to be flushed out of my body and for my body to respond well to all the medication (so far I have been blessed)
• Good lab reports this week again
• Pray that as I am praying for others on the table…everything comes to mind quickly and that the Lord hears and answers these prayers
• Pray that my oldest three are challenged and grow in the Lord the last couple days of camp