It has been a really busy few days.  So still doing radiation everyday at 11:30am.  Love my people up there.  Blessed to see some “graduate” and move on and now even today, the reminder that this battle goes on.  There were new faces up there today just starting and I can remember wondering the first few days, what have I gotten myself in to.   I’m praying for these first timers or second first timers.  It’s a hard battle and the longer the battle goes, the harder it is to BE STILL and Believe.

I want to thank all of you again for allowing me the opportunity to pray with and for you.  It allows me focus and direction in the morning, during treatment, when the Lord reminds me during the day and at night when I am up.  I have been truly blessed to bring these requests to the Lord in confidence and in battle against Satan.  I have to write everything down…or forget it I won’t remember!

We have had a super busy week.  It sort of hit me this week that school starts soon!  I feel like the kids… course I’ve always been a “I could do without school messing up what I’m doing” kind of person.  But, this is life.  School must begin and everyday I take a link off of my cancer battle chain I am basically saying – school is one day closer- at least that’s what the kids say.

I knew that I wanted to get into the soccer office in the field house.  Last year, didn’t have a whole lot of time to think about how the office could be or should be.  Coach Friday, who shares the office with me, said “do whatever you want I don’t care”.  So I did.  I roped my father-in-law and my family, plus Nikki Funk into getting up there for a couple days and cleaning it out, throwing things away and getting it ready for the year.  And I LOVE IT!!!! Not all the way done, but it is soooo much better.  I left room for more trophies and It was good for my WHAT’s NEXT thought process, because now….I’m a little more ok with school starting.  Let’s not talk about my classroom yet 🙂 . hat a blessing it was to meet them.

 I was also able to meet the Gomez family in my renovations.  They sold me a bench to put in the office and we shared our relationship with the Lord and fellow battles with cancer.  What a blessing it was to meet them.

I was also able to get to see some of my club girls. So, I coach at the high school, but also have been a club soccer coach forever. This year I coach girls that are sophomores and juniors  – YIKES! So I have some girls from my high school team and then I have these other amazing ladies that I get to pour into and meet that I just love.  It made it interesting for me this year as a high school coach watching them play.  I have to admit I was coaching them in my head, under my breath and wondering why they just did what they did and me saying “oh that was a good ball…” It’s fun to to just enjoy the game sometimes.

Besides hanging out with these ladies, I was blessed by so many others.  At treatment this week…since I did the bald thing, I thought maybe I should look into a wig or something for school.  I hadn’t really considered that my hair would be in shock for awhile and who knows when it will decide to grow back.  So I made a trip at CARTI to their wig and other hair stuff room and I met these sweet teens.    What a blessing that they choose to volunteer up there and try and help those of us who have no idea what’s going on!  Ella Beth and Kate are students at Little Rock Christian Academy and blessed me as we all laughed at what was happening up on my head!  Did I get a wig – no, not yet, but I got a cute scarf!

I was also blessed to see my sweet warrior friend Sarah who is also battling brain cancer and she and I share the same Spirit of the Lord so we just are soul sisters every time we get the chance to speak or see each other.  In all her deals she, blessed me by knowing I may need a softer head and gave me some products to help me with the skin damage of radiation.  Thanks Girl!

Nathan was super excited to get a special breakfast dinner from Ms Vaughan, who works at our church and her parents.  He has really enjoyed watching people stop by and of course seeing what other people cook.  Seriously,  been so blessed to be fed by so many people.  It really is a highlight of my day to just spend time talking with people who are praying for us and investing in my health.  THANK YOU WARRIORS!

I am super excited to get my artwork from my good friend Sarah Henry of Redeemed Home Goods.  I asked her to paint what Abbey had done and I cannot wait to pick this piece up from her and get it hung up!

“I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes ALL THINGS FOR ME.” Psalm 57:2

I have to admit, I am reading a lot of books right now.  Some are devotionals, some are words of scripture, some are from people who have walked in the dark valleys, some are daily Biblical challenges and I am enjoying each one.  As I read through one of these Bible Studies it took me to the book of Job.  And I was very thankful for the time spent in there.  The book of Job has always been a very amazing exchange to me and here where I am now, I was further reminded that as I pray very fervently over each request for others and for myself that we are in a very REAL battle.  Satan desires to take us down and out and that is the Truth.  BUT GOD…..people!  We have GOD, El Elyon – THE MOST HIGH with US!  And in reading these very familiar passages to me again, in this time, God really affirmed and spoke to me.

Job 1:6-12 

⁶ One day the angels^[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan^[b]also came with them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

I am not going to assume we all know what’s going on here.  It is believed that Job may be the first book of the Bible written and Job was an upright God worshipping, believing person.  He was very successful and had a blessed family.  Everything was going good for Job.  Satan was created as a beautiful angel of God – who CHOSE to rebel against God-becoming an enemy of God.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

So as Satan is roaming around the earth, the Lord points out Job.  Can you imagine having the Lord say, “There is no one on earth like him…” For the Lord to see Job and his faithfulness and highlight it…wow!  Satan comes back with – you’ve blessed him of course he’s going to serve you and not curse you.  But, if you changed that and made life hard for him, he would change his heart’s focus.

¹² The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

So here’s an amazing TRUTH we cannot forget.  God is in control and ONLY HE is Most High.  Satan has to ask permission to mess with Job.  He has to go to God and ASK that he is allowed to get involved in Job’s life.  For me this is a TRUTH we have to understand.  Satan cannot get involved without the Lord allowing him …. Bless!

The passage goes on to say:

Job 2:1-10 

2 On another day the angels^[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. ⁵ But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

⁶ The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

The Lord allows Satan now to touch Job’s body because Satan believes that in this moment, Job will curse God and turn his back on the Lord.

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸ Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.