June 5 2009
Cells Behaving Predictably!!!
What a joy it has been to feel better the last week and a half!!! My blood counts returned to normal so Tim and I went to a wonderful wedding in Wenatchee. My hair started falling out as predicted the day of the wedding but I just pulled it back in a pony tail, forgot about it and enjoyed myself thoroughly!!! That Monday things started getting messy but I pulled my hair back again and went to a hat shower given by some dear friends. It was a fun and memorable time on a very hard day. Margaret wrote a poem for me which she read and we all cried. The next day I decided it was time to shave my head so Margaret and I went to my hairdresser together. While she was shaving I cried, Margaret cried and my hairdresser cried!!!! She cut and shaped my new wig and I wore it out of the shop. Margaret suggested Starbuck’s and I said I wished I would see someone I knew who didn’t know about the cancer to test out the wig on. Sure enough we saw our pediatrician in Starbucks who said hello and “OH! I love your hair! We laughed and told her she was our test to see if the wig looked legit. She could not believe it was a wig. God is so kind!!!
Before the Face of God (Personal Meditations)
Margaret’s poem really inspired me. It was inspired by Lord Byron’s poem which starts out “She Walks in Beauty”. I have purposed that even though I don’t feel beautiful on the outside, to try to walk in beauty through this trial. By God’s grace all of us can take whatever circumstances we are given and walk through them with Truth, Beauty and Goodness. I share the poem with you in hopes that it will inspire you to “Walk in Beauty”.
She Walks in Beauty
By Margaret Dowers
She walks in beauty, like the sun
In it’s daily race to rise.
All it’s stalwart courage to run
meets in her soft hands and eyes.
Today she fights a well known war
one fear and treatment at a time.
She’s trod this weary road before
And walked in beauty through the climb.
An army rushed in to tear
her flesh, to rob her strength and song.
To dull her cheek and take her hair
But she who walks in beauty, walks on.
This force is not her enemy
though he wears a sickly face.
Giving life through misery,
HE walks with her at beauty’s pace.
The Devil’s lies and empty talk
persist, but nothing will appease
His anger when he sees her walk
In boldest beauty through disease.
Her cheek, so soft and eloquent
will bear the sun kissed victor’s smile
And tell of days in goodness spent
When she walked, beautifully, her hardest mile.
I also thought you might enjoy a recipe. On Memorial Day I was feeling pretty bad and was invited to a friend’s house for a BBQ. Nothing was very appetizing but she had made up a salad which had about 6 ingredients that are on my cancer fighting diet I am on. This salad was so soothing to my tummy and I felt great about eating it!!! I felt God had been directing her when she made it!!!!
Asparagus Potato Salad
1 ½ lbs. cooked asparagus, chopped into 2” pieces
12 red potatoes cooked and quartered
1 can artichoke hearts, not in oil
1 container grape tomatoes cut in half
1 can black olives
4 string cheeses, cut up
Pine nuts
2 Tbsp. pesto, dash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
I am so thankful for all the joyous occasions we have been able to enjoy during this time…two beautiful God ordained marriages, graduations, Joel’s homecoming, and all the beautiful times I have had praying and sharing with those who have come to help. I am reminded of Edith Schaeffer’s words from “What is a Family”. She recalls caring for her husband’s mother for seven years and being with her in the hospital while sewing wedding dresses for her daughter’s wedding. “We must say to ourselves and to our children, there is never a series of little packages of time given to you in life labeled:TIME FOR AN ILLNESS, TIME FOR A WEDDING, TIME FOR A DEATH, TIME FOR A BROKEN LEG, TIME FOR CRUSHED RIB MUSCLES……..TIME FOR THREE CHILDREN WITH MEASLES ….TIME FOR A DISAPPOINTMENT. You can’t face the sickness, the operations, the broken arms and legs, the serious diseases, the disasters, or even the headaches, unless you realize there is NEVER a convenient time set aside for joy or sorrow, protected by neat little walls so that the two things will not mingle and spoil each other.”
Please join me in Thanksgiving and Prayer:
*Praise God for His mercies and kindnesses which are new every morning!
*Please pray that I will be brave facing my second treatment on Monday June 8th
*Please pray God will protect me from any secondary infections
*Please pray that we will find a good routine with Joel home and the boys off of school
*Please pray for my hero Tim who is working long hours. Pray for joy and strength
*Please pray for all our dear helpers that God will give them extra strength and stamina
*Please pray for ultimate healing and that God will grant me many more years on the earth.
Cells Behaving Predictably!!!
What a joy it has been to feel better the last week and a half!!! My blood counts returned to normal so Tim and I went to a wonderful wedding in Wenatchee. My hair started falling out as predicted the day of the wedding but I just pulled it back in a pony tail, forgot about it and enjoyed myself thoroughly!!! That Monday things started getting messy but I pulled my hair back again and went to a hat shower given by some dear friends. It was a fun and memorable time on a very hard day. Margaret wrote a poem for me which she read and we all cried. The next day I decided it was time to shave my head so Margaret and I went to my hairdresser together. While she was shaving I cried, Margaret cried and my hairdresser cried!!!! She cut and shaped my new wig and I wore it out of the shop. Margaret suggested Starbuck’s and I said I wished I would see someone I knew who didn’t know about the cancer to test out the wig on. Sure enough we saw our pediatrician in Starbucks who said hello and “OH! I love your hair! We laughed and told her she was our test to see if the wig looked legit. She could not believe it was a wig. God is so kind!!!
Before the Face of God (Personal Meditations)
Margaret’s poem really inspired me. It was inspired by Lord Byron’s poem which starts out “She Walks in Beauty”. I have purposed that even though I don’t feel beautiful on the outside, to try to walk in beauty through this trial. By God’s grace all of us can take whatever circumstances we are given and walk through them with Truth, Beauty and Goodness. I share the poem with you in hopes that it will inspire you to “Walk in Beauty”.
She Walks in Beauty
By Margaret Dowers
She walks in beauty, like the sun
In it’s daily race to rise.
All it’s stalwart courage to run
meets in her soft hands and eyes.
Today she fights a well known war
one fear and treatment at a time.
She’s trod this weary road before
And walked in beauty through the climb.
An army rushed in to tear
her flesh, to rob her strength and song.
To dull her cheek and take her hair
But she who walks in beauty, walks on.
This force is not her enemy
though he wears a sickly face.
Giving life through misery,
HE walks with her at beauty’s pace.
The Devil’s lies and empty talk
persist, but nothing will appease
His anger when he sees her walk
In boldest beauty through disease.
Her cheek, so soft and eloquent
will bear the sun kissed victor’s smile
And tell of days in goodness spent
When she walked, beautifully, her hardest mile.
I also thought you might enjoy a recipe. On Memorial Day I was feeling pretty bad and was invited to a friend’s house for a BBQ. Nothing was very appetizing but she had made up a salad which had about 6 ingredients that are on my cancer fighting diet I am on. This salad was so soothing to my tummy and I felt great about eating it!!! I felt God had been directing her when she made it!!!!
Asparagus Potato Salad
1 ½ lbs. cooked asparagus, chopped into 2” pieces
12 red potatoes cooked and quartered
1 can artichoke hearts, not in oil
1 container grape tomatoes cut in half
1 can black olives
4 string cheeses, cut up
Pine nuts
2 Tbsp. pesto, dash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
I am so thankful for all the joyous occasions we have been able to enjoy during this time…two beautiful God ordained marriages, graduations, Joel’s homecoming, and all the beautiful times I have had praying and sharing with those who have come to help. I am reminded of Edith Schaeffer’s words from “What is a Family”. She recalls caring for her husband’s mother for seven years and being with her in the hospital while sewing wedding dresses for her daughter’s wedding. “We must say to ourselves and to our children, there is never a series of little packages of time given to you in life labeled:TIME FOR AN ILLNESS, TIME FOR A WEDDING, TIME FOR A DEATH, TIME FOR A BROKEN LEG, TIME FOR CRUSHED RIB MUSCLES……..TIME FOR THREE CHILDREN WITH MEASLES ….TIME FOR A DISAPPOINTMENT. You can’t face the sickness, the operations, the broken arms and legs, the serious diseases, the disasters, or even the headaches, unless you realize there is NEVER a convenient time set aside for joy or sorrow, protected by neat little walls so that the two things will not mingle and spoil each other.”
Please join me in Thanksgiving and Prayer:
*Praise God for His mercies and kindnesses which are new every morning!
*Please pray that I will be brave facing my second treatment on Monday June 8th
*Please pray God will protect me from any secondary infections
*Please pray that we will find a good routine with Joel home and the boys off of school
*Please pray for my hero Tim who is working long hours. Pray for joy and strength
*Please pray for all our dear helpers that God will give them extra strength and stamina
*Please pray for ultimate healing and that God will grant me many more years on the earth.
Thanks so much for sharing, Leslie. It is good to know the specifics of what you are facing and how we can best be praying for you. I'm so glad that you were able to make it to the wedding. Thank you also for sharing that recipe. With a few adjustments, I think it would be a great part of my current diet for gallstones! Praying for you, especially for this coming Monday.
ReplyDeleteI've just been catching up on your blog Mom. I think I could reread it 5 more times and keep getting things out of it. You are a blessing, and truly the most beautiful woman I know. I like your analogy of "pruning." Thank you for spending the time to meditate and write about your story.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Margaret
Through the night of doubt and sorrow
ReplyDeleteOnward goes the pilgrim band,
Singing songs of expectation,
Marching to the promised land.
Clear before us through the darkness
Gleams and burns the guiding light;
Brother clasps the hand of brother,
Stepping fearless through the night.
Bernhard Ingemann
Leslie, others are strengthened by your courage. May this mind be in you: that others fight more bravely when they recall those who have done the same. May it seal to your heart the worthiness of being called to suffer. We fight not by ourselves. We fight not for ourselves.
I pray in line with your requests here.
Love,
Sandra
Dear Leslie,
ReplyDeleteYou are some woman of infinite strength! Even though you may not accept that, I know that we can both agree that you serve a mighty strong God, Who is able to deliver you. Right away, the Lord brought to mind a Bible verse that I believe He inspired the psalmist to compose with you, His beloved, in mind:
Psalm 71:20-21
"You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
Shall revive me AGAIN,
And bring me up AGAIN from the depths of the earth.
You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side."
And speaking of psalmist and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, Margaret's incredible tribute to her beautiful mother, "She Walks in Beauty," must be like the very essence of the balm of Gilead, ministering healing to your body, soul, and spirit every time you read it. May the Lord use the love of your family, the wisdom of the physicians, the provision of their treatment, and His miraculous powers, all together, to administer a complete healing from this new cancer.
You are loved with an ever-lasting love, dear one. In prayer we keep, ~Marilyn & "Little Bear" Wheeler