December 10, 2009
Cells Being Radiated (Specifics of Treatment)
I have not written in so long I don’t know if I have any followers left but it is still good to express what God is doing in our midst! It is hard to believe but the memory of the dreaded tube phase of my recovery has faded almost completely and I am adding many more pleasant memories to my file daily. Because the tubes took so long to come out we had to wait to start radiation which meant I got a wonderful break for Thanksgiving. God provided our WHOLE family (Tim, Leslie, Margaret (with baby Dowers inside),Charlie, Joel, Spencer and Eric, with a precious and memorable trip to the Napa Valley where my brother and his wife hosted our whole extended family and Jocelyn’s extended family for a lovely dinner. The weekend included lots of sunshine, a trip into San Francisco, shopping and art galleries, lovely walks, games, family entertainment and LOTS OF LAUGHTER. It struck me that among my many blessings is the fact that I am on good terms with everyone in my whole extended family.
The few days away gave me a much needed boost to come home and start radiation. I have completed 7 with 26 to go! I was disappointed when I realized I will be doing radiation the whole time Joel is home for the holidays, but decided to re-frame it with “ I get to have Joel home the whole time I have to go through radiation.!” YEA! I am also doing physical therapy two times a week to learn preventative lymphodema massage and to get back my range of motion in my arms. This keeps me very busy during an already hectic season but we are settling into a nice routine.
Before the Face of God (Personal Meditations)
Joy to the World! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing!
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks hills and plains repeat the sounding Joy!
No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found!
He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love!
This is one of the songs I will play in my piano recital…yes part of taking piano lessons is doing a recital. I will soon experience that out of body experience all performers must go through during a recital. Pray for me!! The Lord continues to impress upon my heart how serious He is about JOY! It permeates the scriptures.
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go , eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the JOY of the Lord is your strength.”
Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for JOY; and may You shelter them that those who love Your name may exult in You.
Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of JOY; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous ones; And shout for JOY, all you who are upright in heart.
Psalm 43:3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding JOY; and upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God my God.
But how to maintain JOY in the midst of such a sinful and sorrowful world? This Christmas the familiar story of God being willing to leave the glories of heaven for the strife and suffering of this world, in order that we might be redeemed from it, is especially meaningful for me. Jesus has come time and time again into the wretchedness of my struggling heart and brought light and love and joy. One of our advent readings by Charles Spurgeon from his sermon ”No room at the Inn” expresses it well.
“Well, says one, “I have room for Him, but I am not worthy that He should come to me.” Ah! I did not ask about worthiness; have you room for Him? “Oh! But I feel it is a place not at all fit for Christ!” Nor was the manger a place fit for Him, and yet there was he laid. “Oh!, but I have been such a sinner; I feel as if my heart had been a den of beasts and devils!” Well, the manger had been a place where beasts had fed. Have you room for Him? Never mind what the past has been; He can forget and forgive. It mattereth not what even the present state may be if thou mournest it. If thou hast but room for Christ He will come and be thy guest.
“Oh! Saith one, “I have room for Him but will He come? Will He come indeed! Do you set the door of your heart open , do but say “Jesus, Master, all unworthy and unclean I look to thee, come, lodge within my heart,” and He will come to thee, and He will cleanse the manger of thy heart, nay, will transform it into a golden throne, and there He will reign for ever and ever.
“My Master wants room! Room for him! Room for Him! I, his herald, cry aloud, Room for the Savior! Room! Here is my royal Master-have you room for Him? Here is the Son of God made flesh-have your room for Him? Here is he who can forgive all sin- have you room for Him? Here is he who can take you up out of the horrible pit and out of the miry clay-have you room for Him? Here is he who when he cometh in will never go out again, but abide with you forever to make your heart a heaven of joy and bliss for you-have you room for Him? “Tis all I ask. Your emptiness, your nothingness, your want of feeling, your want of goodness, your want of grace-all these will be but room for Him. Have you room for Him?
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great JOY which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11
Please join me in Prayer and Thanksgiving
*Praise God for His precious gift of Christ. May we all yearn for Him and treasure Him more fully this year
*Praise God for the continued good care we have received and for all the continuing support we have from family and friends
*Praise God for the steadfast love of my husband who becomes more and more like Christ to me every day
*Please pray that I will accept the continued discomfort I experience with cheerfulness and that I will be diligent in physical therapy
*Please pray that God will continue to give us all perseverance in the midst of the harsh and cold winter months
*Please pray that we will be sensitive and open to opportunities to bless others as we have been blessed
Blessed Christmas to All!!!!!
Cells Being Radiated (Specifics of Treatment)
I have not written in so long I don’t know if I have any followers left but it is still good to express what God is doing in our midst! It is hard to believe but the memory of the dreaded tube phase of my recovery has faded almost completely and I am adding many more pleasant memories to my file daily. Because the tubes took so long to come out we had to wait to start radiation which meant I got a wonderful break for Thanksgiving. God provided our WHOLE family (Tim, Leslie, Margaret (with baby Dowers inside),Charlie, Joel, Spencer and Eric, with a precious and memorable trip to the Napa Valley where my brother and his wife hosted our whole extended family and Jocelyn’s extended family for a lovely dinner. The weekend included lots of sunshine, a trip into San Francisco, shopping and art galleries, lovely walks, games, family entertainment and LOTS OF LAUGHTER. It struck me that among my many blessings is the fact that I am on good terms with everyone in my whole extended family.
The few days away gave me a much needed boost to come home and start radiation. I have completed 7 with 26 to go! I was disappointed when I realized I will be doing radiation the whole time Joel is home for the holidays, but decided to re-frame it with “ I get to have Joel home the whole time I have to go through radiation.!” YEA! I am also doing physical therapy two times a week to learn preventative lymphodema massage and to get back my range of motion in my arms. This keeps me very busy during an already hectic season but we are settling into a nice routine.
Before the Face of God (Personal Meditations)
Joy to the World! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing!
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks hills and plains repeat the sounding Joy!
No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found!
He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love!
This is one of the songs I will play in my piano recital…yes part of taking piano lessons is doing a recital. I will soon experience that out of body experience all performers must go through during a recital. Pray for me!! The Lord continues to impress upon my heart how serious He is about JOY! It permeates the scriptures.
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go , eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the JOY of the Lord is your strength.”
Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for JOY; and may You shelter them that those who love Your name may exult in You.
Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of JOY; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous ones; And shout for JOY, all you who are upright in heart.
Psalm 43:3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding JOY; and upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God my God.
But how to maintain JOY in the midst of such a sinful and sorrowful world? This Christmas the familiar story of God being willing to leave the glories of heaven for the strife and suffering of this world, in order that we might be redeemed from it, is especially meaningful for me. Jesus has come time and time again into the wretchedness of my struggling heart and brought light and love and joy. One of our advent readings by Charles Spurgeon from his sermon ”No room at the Inn” expresses it well.
“Well, says one, “I have room for Him, but I am not worthy that He should come to me.” Ah! I did not ask about worthiness; have you room for Him? “Oh! But I feel it is a place not at all fit for Christ!” Nor was the manger a place fit for Him, and yet there was he laid. “Oh!, but I have been such a sinner; I feel as if my heart had been a den of beasts and devils!” Well, the manger had been a place where beasts had fed. Have you room for Him? Never mind what the past has been; He can forget and forgive. It mattereth not what even the present state may be if thou mournest it. If thou hast but room for Christ He will come and be thy guest.
“Oh! Saith one, “I have room for Him but will He come? Will He come indeed! Do you set the door of your heart open , do but say “Jesus, Master, all unworthy and unclean I look to thee, come, lodge within my heart,” and He will come to thee, and He will cleanse the manger of thy heart, nay, will transform it into a golden throne, and there He will reign for ever and ever.
“My Master wants room! Room for him! Room for Him! I, his herald, cry aloud, Room for the Savior! Room! Here is my royal Master-have you room for Him? Here is the Son of God made flesh-have your room for Him? Here is he who can forgive all sin- have you room for Him? Here is he who can take you up out of the horrible pit and out of the miry clay-have you room for Him? Here is he who when he cometh in will never go out again, but abide with you forever to make your heart a heaven of joy and bliss for you-have you room for Him? “Tis all I ask. Your emptiness, your nothingness, your want of feeling, your want of goodness, your want of grace-all these will be but room for Him. Have you room for Him?
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great JOY which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11
Please join me in Prayer and Thanksgiving
*Praise God for His precious gift of Christ. May we all yearn for Him and treasure Him more fully this year
*Praise God for the continued good care we have received and for all the continuing support we have from family and friends
*Praise God for the steadfast love of my husband who becomes more and more like Christ to me every day
*Please pray that I will accept the continued discomfort I experience with cheerfulness and that I will be diligent in physical therapy
*Please pray that God will continue to give us all perseverance in the midst of the harsh and cold winter months
*Please pray that we will be sensitive and open to opportunities to bless others as we have been blessed
Blessed Christmas to All!!!!!
