tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51494152133576038292024-03-05T20:37:32.834-08:00Pierce ProductionsI am a wife and a mother of 4 kids. I often share about my faith in Christ,the journey of healing from metastatic breast cancer, organization and I also promote healthy lifestyle choices.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11812235408689143956noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-9061408787513684762017-10-07T23:38:00.000-07:002017-10-08T02:26:54.199-07:00Are you gonna look? What's the point? I like to smile. I like to laugh.I've been trying to figure out how to share this story tonight. I was hoping that the details of how it all happened would just meticulously unfold from the wrappings of my brain but alas, it's taking some time for it to even get to just messily unfold. I'm tired. taking these meds has me all out of sorts as my body tries to adjust to 2 new chemo meds. it's odd because these 2 meds are taken via pill form instead of iv form and though there are some things I like about it, I'm kinda not a huge fan either but I'm just working with it as best I can.<br />
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My kids have Monday off of school!!!! I wanted to be a "FUN mom" and decided that we'd "Seize the Day!" and plan to do something fun, it might even cost money, and I don't care. I want to spend some time with my kids having fun for all 4 of them. One of the ideas I had come up with was maybe going to the Butterfly Conservatory on Mackinaw Island. We really wanted to make it to the Island this summer because, in all my years, I've never actually been to the Island. And I wanted to be the one to take my kids to the Island too. But my kids are really struggling to follow directions and obey without issue this weekend. I've explained until I'm blue in the face that we cannot do fun things if they aren't willing to follow directions. I can't be giving up a bunch of extra energy to keep them in line and safe. They have thrown in the towel.<br />
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It looks like we may just go walk around Mackinaw City to have some fun so I asked Braly if he still had the coupon from Robotics club to see if I was still valid for some Lego thing. He said no, he didn't think so. That was from like 2 years ago and what was the point, it wasn't like we'd ever get over there to use it anyway. We never do things he wants to do. It's always for the girls or medical stuff for mom. My heart sort of sank in sadness at his outlook. This mama started praying. And prayers were answered. God is concerned with ALL of you! He wants every single part of you and is so full of compassion to reach you!<br />
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So tonight I was reading my email and just sitting at the dining room table relaxing and thinking that I should start heading to bed soon. I reflected on the amazing deal I was able to get again from Joann Fabrics. The other day the had a 40% off coupon and then 50% off entire order or something like that. I had something similar and scored a great light I've had my eyes on. :) In the meantime, I started getting heartburn. I hate heartburn. It not only hurts but seems to take it's sweet ol' time working it's way out which usually means for me that I end up not going to bed for awhile and find something else to do to keep my body upright for the heartburn to go away. I sipped on some Kombucha tea and then headed to the basement to work on some laundry. There was plenty of stuff down there to mess with but all the hangers were left in the closet in my room where my family sleeps. So I walked around and picked a few things up here and there and put them away. I had not actually finished any one section in the basement when I was decluttering so there are plenty of things to do. I emptied a container and put the things away. I ended up sitting down & picking up a box of junk that had been sitting in the basement for awhile. As I pulled things out of it, I came across a business card. I'm so glad that I didn't allow the discouragement of my kids to get to me. I do love to smile. I love to laugh, I'm gonna keep my healthy, positive outlook despite what comes my way and I'm going to certainly try to pass this view on down to my kids and anyone else that will listen to me.<br />
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Es muy importante!<br />
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Time for me to get to bed.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11812235408689143956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-1159056282348548722017-02-28T18:23:00.000-08:002017-02-28T18:23:13.605-08:00Day 729 of Square OneI made it through yesterday and I did okay. I had such a big salad for dinner that I got tired of chewing so I ended up making my salad into soup. I am still missing some of the other important veggies that fight cancer since I only had a chance to listen to 2 modules but I have a decent start for day 1. Day 2, or what I'm referring to as 729 is kinda messed up already. I'm going to have to make a plan that if I have a chemo treatment like I do today, I may have to juice for 2 days the day before in order to comply with drinking 8 oz of carrot juice each hour until I reach the right amount of ounces for the day. So today, I'm going to have to modify and make a 2nd Shakeology and bring it with me as my lunch. And when I get home, I may have to have the kids help me juice some carrots and celery.<br />
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Well, juicing didn't happen at all today. I ate a very large salad for dinner and I had some fun with it. I used some pomegranate stuff and mixed in a little oil and a bunch of seasonings and poured it over top the salad. I still need to listen to the 2nd module again & the 3rd through 10th but I am determined to keep going.<br />
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I am building my support system each day. So many people in my life are encouraging me with this. I have a friend all the way in CA that did some reading into what I shared with her. Then sent me a pic of a devotion that was perfect. A friend here in my town said that she'd go with me to Marquette or Marinette so I can buy organic veggies if I need to. I thought that was a great idea. There are a group of people at my church doing the Daniel meal eating, which is kinda similar and that is neat because they are encouraging too. Today is Fat Tuesday and people were eating Paczki today. I did not partake in this tradition but I purchased one for each of the rest of the family. As I was talking about this with my mother in law, I realized that tomorrow starts lent season. And then I got the idea that I should just break this journey down into maybe 40 day sections. That instead of thinking I'm going to be eating a raw diet for 730 days I can make it more doable. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days which led up to his death on the cross and then resurrection. I can do 40 days to Easter. Then it's 40 days until Pentecost. I'm not sure what comes after that but I'll figure it out as I go.<br />
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Tomorrow I'll juice for 2 days and see if I can get it down to a science where I only have to use the juicer every other day to save a little time. I will store the juice in mason jars like I have been to preserve the quality and just use it up within the 2 days and start again. Like I said, I'm learning as I go. I've got to take care of myself and my husband and kids so this has to fit in and work for me.<br />
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Adam and I set up the Berkey water filter tonight. I have to remember to check it and take the water out and water the plants since we are to toss the first filtered water. I figure that it's better for the plants than what they've been getting with city water. I am excited to check out the water tomorrow and taste the difference with so many things filtered from it. My goal is to take out as many toxins from my body and my family's body as I can. I want to do my part. I believe that God is restoring my body but I want to be sure to do my part in the process too.<br />
<br />So that's day 2 (729) of my Square One journey. My plan tomorrow is to listen to module 2 and 3 and make a list of ALL the things I CAN eat and hang it on the fridge so I don't feel deprived. Night all. It's time to get some rest.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11812235408689143956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-87253067103733655382017-02-27T12:07:00.000-08:002017-02-27T12:07:53.514-08:00Square One Journey Day 730Today is the day I said I would start my Square One Journey and I stuck to it. I prepped and juiced a 5# bag of carrots and some celery and now I am to drink 8 oz every hour until I've gotten 48oz into my body for the day.<br />
<br />Unfortunately, I have not gotten a chance to finish watching all of Chris W's modules yet. I was gone for the weekend with 20 kids and 5 adults from our church for a conference. It was a lot of fun but now it's time to concentrate on renewing my body with new healthy cells.<br />
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I started out the day by drinking a shake with blueberries, raspberries, almond milk, and vegan chocolate Shakeology. I'm going to stick with the shakes each morning because I stopped getting them and ended up having dry eyes. I'm not going that route again.<br />
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So today, despite not getting to watch all of the modules on this Square One Journey, I am starting anyway. I will just have to learn as I go. This isn't about perfection, it's about making healthy choices and lifestyle changes.<br />
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I have to head to the oncology department soon in order to have labs drawn because tomorrow I have a chemo treatment scheduled. I plan to ask some questions of my providers in hopes that down the road, I can get off of the chemo and just do a natural way of healing with God's help.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11812235408689143956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-7800333525202699272017-02-21T06:27:00.001-08:002017-02-21T06:27:30.806-08:00736 daysOn Monday February 27, 2017 I will be starting the Square One eating plan. Square One is a plan for changing nutrition and lifestyle to heal of cancer and/or prevent it. The site is <a href="http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/">Chris Wark's</a> and he shares how he healed his body from Stage III 3c Colon cancer with God's grace, nutrition and lifestyle changes. I came across his website through another email I signed up for that my father in law had shared with me awhile back. I thought Chris' modules sounded interesting and considering the diagnosis I received back in Oct 2013 that I had Stage IV metastasized breast cancer, I thought this was a good video series to start watching. And it was for FREE at the time. I watched intently and took really good notes. I started making a list of things that I haven't changed yet and did some research how to make changes for me and my family.<div>
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Before I was able to watch the 3rd module, I received a text message from a dear friend that said her family wanted to bless me with purchasing the classes for me to have my own digital copy so I could watch and rewatch over and over so I could put this new lifestyle into place. I am extremely grateful for their generosity and signed right up. I listened to module 3 and learned how I'm going to change my nutrition. I am going to overload my body with good nutrition through juicing (which I already knew about but had never fully committed to in the past) and eating a SUPER Salad every day for lunch & dinner. I learned the things to put in the salad and I loved how Chris shared how important it is to add cancer-fighting spices and herbs to the salad as well. He is so positive and encouraging that even though he says that a person should commit 100% to 2 full years of this new and improved lifestyle, I feel as though I will be able to do this. I am planning right now. I will be starting the juicing on Monday the 27th of February after I get back from a busy weekend trip.</div>
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Chris encourages people that do this plan, to journal and share so they can help others. That fits with my blogging so for the next 730 days starting on the 27th, I will be trying to blog every....single....day to keep track and share what's going on. It may encourage you if you are in a similar situation to find a way to make changes in your life. I am a wife, a mother to 4 kids and I still volunteer at our church and stay involved in as much as I can. I'm not trying to toot my horn by sharing this, however, I am trying to say that if I have all of this on my plate and plan and WILL do this lifestyle change, you can too. I think that fear of such a HUGE commitment of big changes has held me back, but not anymore. I will be following the Square One plan as closely as possible. I have recently discovered that I need to stay on the Shakeology that I've been drinking for years. I went off of it for a few weeks and ended up with dry eyes, and 2 prescriptions for it. I got some more Shakeology and started taking it twice a day for a week and my eyes are already back to normal. Praise God!</div>
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I have to prepare myself to make more trips for fresh fruits and veggies at the store each week. I have to set aside about 1 hour to juice the veggies that I need for my juice all day. I have to drink 8 oz of juice about every hour throughout the day and then eat the super salad twice a day. I have to get used to spicy and smelly things like garlic, turmeric, ginger and a few other hot things. I'm not huge on spicy but I will do what I need to make this happen. I will be hanging signs that remind me that I am building a new body.</div>
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<br />I decided that since this new lifestyle will be 730 days, instead of counting up to the 730, I'm going to countdown. I have been praying about what God's direction for me would be and then this came in my email. My plan is to keep doing the chemo treatments for now but my goal is to see vast improvements in the tumor marker numbers and to either space out and quit or eventually just quit chemo treatments. I am seeking God for guidance, wisdom, and discernment about the choices I must make.</div>
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So here goes. I'm just 736 days away from completing the Square One program. Come along the journey with me if you would like. It will probably include some crying, laughing, frustration, pleas of needing encouragement, changing the way I look at things, etc. Here we go....</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11812235408689143956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-11395789158504156612017-02-14T07:26:00.000-08:002017-02-14T07:26:36.256-08:00Our 5 senses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I may have shared a post about this before but it's an ongoing thing for me and I imagine it is for others as well, so we're talking about it again. After all we are all human and have 5 wonderful senses that God gave to each of us. Taste, Smell, Hearing, Touch, and Sight. We learn about these senses at a young age. These 5 senses are part of our flesh. What we may not learn right away is that there is the supernatural realm (our first or parent realm) and that when we operate in the supernatural realm, we often have to ignore our fleshly senses.<br />
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I've talked about fasting before. And one of the things about fasting is that the flesh says, "hey, I'm hungry, feed me!" The flesh part of us is trying to demand to be known and heard. It can even get angry and cause a headache. But if we are led by the Holy Spirit to fast and pray and we are following the Holy Spirit, we often need to tell our flesh to be quiet. That it doesn't matter what it's saying, we are going to obey and follow the Holy Spirit. This is NOT usually easy. That flesh has a way of rising up and making itself known. Well, when a person is dealing with a medical diagnosis that the doctors don't give a good prognosis of and that person is walking by faith and not by sight, that person often has to cast down imagination and have it be captive to God. It can be a daily, hourly, or even minute by minute struggle to tell that flesh to behave and line up with God's word. I live that struggle at times. But I am so thankful that God's word is powerful and alive and at work in my life in order for me to get through it.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3_bPCaXJoLO9Qkjzec2jJakDEhENKu4joKeSQJF_FlShogItIXFkhd2KJyYh_zJnKO1DcskMqrr87GCpyJtgVRCianHpsHtQvPJ-G_WKbvxHkZ5vlCrxW4AkFpjKi29FiJHApeDfB9E/s1600/cast+down+imagination.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3_bPCaXJoLO9Qkjzec2jJakDEhENKu4joKeSQJF_FlShogItIXFkhd2KJyYh_zJnKO1DcskMqrr87GCpyJtgVRCianHpsHtQvPJ-G_WKbvxHkZ5vlCrxW4AkFpjKi29FiJHApeDfB9E/s1600/cast+down+imagination.jpg" /></a><br />Last week I had another chemo treatment. Right now I have them every 3 weeks. They drew the tumor marker number and it came back as being a handful of points higher than it has been. The increase can indicate that the cancer is growing again. But this number alone isn't usually something that the doctors get concerned about. They often ask if I am feeling pain anywhere. If there is something unusual or different in the pain department. And if so, they often call for a scan of some sort. I had not been having any unusual pain in my body. But when I read that number and it was higher than last time, the devil started trying to play on my imagination and make me think that stuff is going on. I believe that I am healed. And I walk by faith and not by sight so I have been praying against this distortion of what I KNOW to be true. I have been praying that I walk by faith and not feelings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ_DZV33Av7ryHEDY1biijHlzK0hCZ4D4aDSle3SeSDtHOw2GcFiJbTHczNonKmLZB8KhXy30prbSSL0bALN4Q2F7aFnTVRG76Dl_WVOBCrqWhsoN00y165smXhpAeQqt0IFfC2LlPzE/s1600/strongholds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ_DZV33Av7ryHEDY1biijHlzK0hCZ4D4aDSle3SeSDtHOw2GcFiJbTHczNonKmLZB8KhXy30prbSSL0bALN4Q2F7aFnTVRG76Dl_WVOBCrqWhsoN00y165smXhpAeQqt0IFfC2LlPzE/s320/strongholds.jpg" width="313" /></a>Yesterday I was sharing with a couple of people how when my mind starts to wander and think the worst, I bring it back into line by quoting scripture. This morning after I dropped my kids off at school, I had the radio on K-Love and just before I got out of the van, I smiled REALLY BIG. There was a quick teaching about how we need to walk by faith and not by sight (those 5 senses), and then the man proceeded to say, it is important that we walk by faith and not feelings. I believe that God hears my prayers. He hears me and I believe in Him and love the connection I have with him. Right then and there it was a little breadcrumb to show me that he heard me and I need to just keep trusting him. Over the last month I've had a few of these breadcrumbs to remind me that He loves me and wants me well. He hears my every prayer and need. He knows what I have need of even before I ask. And it's neat when he confirms to me that he heard my prayers.<br />
<br />I encourage you to try talking to God today. To voice your concerns with him and tell him what you need. He loves you oh so very much and he wants to have a connection, a relationship with you. Do you long to have the connection I have with God? You can. It starts by telling him that you have sinned and that you believe he died and rose again to save you from your sins AND heal you both physically and mentally. And then confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God and commit your life to him, you will be saved and have taken the first step into having that connection with God. If you've just taken this 1st step into connecting with God on a personal level, please feel free to message me. I can help point you into the direction of what you can do next.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11812235408689143956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-5184672487801189742016-11-10T08:00:00.003-08:002016-11-10T08:00:51.246-08:00A+ Great Job!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCbwBubdGoTHSqK9aHmpjqeN7_hnRMScMyLZ-kRlbGKfhTNBx5JiOaX7HatOoiAqkN-eZ3-DtQB2XegsEB8TB7sZ4pmS5agg4ngvJstaDk0wGBPhHnG69ZJuI2BNrpB2MIuFCEjQ72Go/s1600/A%252B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCbwBubdGoTHSqK9aHmpjqeN7_hnRMScMyLZ-kRlbGKfhTNBx5JiOaX7HatOoiAqkN-eZ3-DtQB2XegsEB8TB7sZ4pmS5agg4ngvJstaDk0wGBPhHnG69ZJuI2BNrpB2MIuFCEjQ72Go/s320/A%252B.jpeg" width="320" /></a>It's the end of the first marking period for my kids at school which meant attending parent/teacher conferences. Since I have 3 in school, that meant meeting with 13 different teachers. I had to make an appointment to meet with Morgan's teacher since she's younger & that's how her's was set up. But for the older 2, I had to go to each classroom and wait for my turn to talk to the teachers. I did a pretty good job with conferences yesterday. I saw 11 of the 13 teachers and I did it in under 4 hours. Yes, that was a lot and I was starving by the time I picked the kids up from church but that means that today and tomorrow's half days are mine to spend with the kids. :D I'm very excited about that and it was worth being patient and all the steps my fitbit counted. Although the plantar fasciitis pain kicked in and I was quite tired last night, it was worth it for the extra time with them today & tomorrow.<br />
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I am pleased to say that all of them got on the honor roll. One child got ALL As. And the other two had one A- each and the rest were As. Even though this looks great for each of them, it isn't what makes me proud of them. As I sat down with each teacher and talked with them about my kids, I had a hard time not tearing up with what I heard (yes, I'm 'that' mom). And to be honest, I wouldn't expect anything else because of what Adam & I have taught them over the years. Here are some of the things I heard:<br />
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Your child is quiet, shy, but very respectful, a hard worker, a perfectionist, creative, kind, sweet, participates, great to have in class, wish I had more of her, love having her in class, she's going to have a successful high school career, dedicated, smart, determined, and so much more.<br />
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Your child is serious, interesting, kind, always ready to answer questions, hard worker, participates in class all the time, respectful, mature, good understanding of self and things around him, fun, love having in class, look to him in class because he enjoys it so much, fast worker, good time management, determined, great kid, and so much more.<br />
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Your child is respectful, hard worker, quiet, even when the kids around her are making a lot of noice. Felt bad saying it but she is a student that the teacher can use sort of as a buffer and put next to anyone in the class (especially those that don't always follow directions) and she can count on her to sit quietly, do her work without added instruction, etc. She understands her material, is helpful, a hard worker, and oh so much more.<br />
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These things are what make me a proud mama. I care that they are doing their best. I care that they treat others with respect. I care that they are kind and helpful. They might not always do those things at home, however, I know it's in them and it's what we keep teaching them to be loving and kind to all. I love hearing that they are respectful of adults and other students as well. That they are hard workers. That makes me tear up because I get to hear that the lessons we've taught them are paying off. Their character is by far, way more important to me than actual grades. But I also know that because of teaching them good character qualities, it will help them succeed and do their best and push for those good grades.<br />
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This year I tried not to just listen to the nice things that the teachers said but to pick something that I could encourage each of the teachers about while I was there. They have a tough job. Not all kids want to be there, not all kids want to learn, not all kids are taught good character qualities and they have to treat these kids with respect and teach them despite whether they want to learn. I appreciate the teachers. I think they care about each of the kids and thought they could use some uplifting words. I'm sure they each had at least a couple of difficult meetings with parents last night and again this afternoon. Just wanted them to know they are doing a good job and to keep it up.<br />
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I challenge you, as a parent, to encourage and uplift your child's teacher. If you are homeschooling your child/children, I hope that you get encouraged. Your job is a lot of work. I won't homeschool my kids because I know myself and I would be too frustrated with them not doing their work and I think it would affect our relationship with each other but I know it's tough work. I have worked with each of my kids before they started school and I help them with their homework or any schoolwork they don't understand and need extra teaching of. I make sure they have materials to help them succeed by providing books to help them in each subject and we look things up online together when necessary. It is a TON of work but they are soooo worth it. Great job parents. Keep up the awesome work to help your kids succeed in their academics and more importantly their character skills (it actually helps me as I teach them too).<br />
Have a great day! I plan to.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11812235408689143956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-45889903527662702332016-10-25T19:51:00.003-07:002016-10-25T19:51:53.236-07:00Proud of my boy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was the 2nd and also last day of basketball tryouts for Braly. He has never played basketball besides in our driveway and maybe a little at school in gym class. So when he decided to try out for the team, I was impressed. Once he decided to try out, he practiced most afternoons after school. I really enjoyed watching him practice. And I really loved seeing Adam teaching him some things on Saturday.<br />
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Yesterday when I picked him up from tryouts, he was a bit bummed. He said that he didn't think that he had the skills like some of the other kids. I asked him why & he said that there were drills that he was unable to complete because he'd never done them before. I could understand that statement. I just didn't want him to be all glum and think that everyone was better than him and for him to sulk about it feeling sorry for himself. He had a legitimate observation and that was completely okay. He was right too. Many of the boys that tried out have played for a couple of years. Maybe even done basketball camps. So yes, they were better skilled.<br />
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When I picked the kids up from school today, Braly said that his plan was to have as much fun during the tryouts today as he could and do his best. I told him that was all I expected from him. When I went to pick him up from tryouts I found out that he was handed an envelope with his name on it. Inside was a piece of paper that said whether he'd made the team or not. I think he told me that there were like 15 spots on the team and there were about 7-9 kids that would not make it. He opened his envelope and said, "well, I didn't make it but that's okay." And the cool thing was that even though he was slightly disappointed, I knew he really was okay for not making it because of the way he said it. Yes, it's sad that he didn't get a spot. But he went on to say that the boys that he heard made it, they were really good and they earned their spots. And he was pretty sure that they put a lot of time into practicing basketball each day. He said that many of them practice after school, they eat dinner, and practice some more. He said they work really hard to be good players.<br />
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No, my son didn't make the team. Am I a little sad for him? Yes, of course, I am, however, this boy just did some major growing up in the last week and he makes me so proud that I get to call him Son. He learned the value of hard work even when something is challenging. He learned to be a good sport. He had a feeling that he might not be at the same level of playing basketball and he still put himself out there and tried out. I am filled with joy and am proud that my son learned so much this past week.<b><u> I've got an amazing kid! </u></b> And he may not have made the basketball team this year but he made the Jazz Band. I honestly don't have a preference what he chooses to do for activities. I am just pleased to see him joining groups, learning, observing, and doing his best.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-74250248075825032692016-10-18T22:29:00.001-07:002016-10-18T22:29:22.899-07:00RemindedI have been struggling for the last several weeks with 'what if' kind of thoughts. Plain and simple, it sucks! The last post I made on here was great news that the tumor marker numbers were normal which was a great report. They have since risen a bit. The doctor said that it's hard to say what is happening because it's just a number and it can take time to level out. He asked me if I had any back pain. I said no. (He likes to use more than just a number to figure out what is going on and with insurance the way it is and not wanting to expose me to even more radiation stuff, he doesn't just order a scan unless he's got some things to back it up.) But wouldn't you know that the devil used that line of questions to make me think that I've had twinges of pain or for me to be "looking" for signs of pain. I know I need to be paying attention to my body and all but the mind games have become such a battle. I am reminded that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness. And I am reminded that Jesus already won the <u>war</u> when he died and rose again but I must continue fighting the <u>battles</u>. I must put on my armor of God and stand against the wiles of the devil. And I WILL STAND!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEJXLWbTw_Wa14fFWO9YBD_sWMc8mP98KtYPpynESUDbb8Xelm4a6X1QCimKPyrX1u3_KiTacRa3LYs0AshRfaoe8E8VnoN70XuFPNw9oZPYrDdnbyMuo30tGt2IWN-0NimTpAtAcG5Y/s1600/wrestle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEJXLWbTw_Wa14fFWO9YBD_sWMc8mP98KtYPpynESUDbb8Xelm4a6X1QCimKPyrX1u3_KiTacRa3LYs0AshRfaoe8E8VnoN70XuFPNw9oZPYrDdnbyMuo30tGt2IWN-0NimTpAtAcG5Y/s320/wrestle.jpg" width="320" /></a>After eating dinner tonight, even after avoiding most gluten for the day, I was starting to get heartburn. I drank some Apple Cider Vinegar which burns worse than any cough medicine I've ever had to take but it helped. After putting the kids to bed, I came back downstairs because it still felt better to be sitting up rather than laying down to go to sleep. I decided to watch a little tv but the show I wanted to watch was messed up from the storm last night. So I put on a movie I had recorded. Sometimes movies make me think too much. This movie, while it was good, it was also sad and it got me thinking about the future of my family. I don't try to wonder what will happen and I fully trust God to take care of me and take care of my family so I just told the thoughts to shut up and go away and that my thoughts and imagination are captive to God. The movie was over and I collected the rest of the dishes that were out so I could start the dishwasher. For a split second, I thought of just going up to bed but I absolutely knew that I needed to read the next devotion in the book I've been reading because I needed the arsenal in my mind against the father of lies as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep. I don't know about you but when the rest of my family is sleeping, it's when the devil tries to get to me the most so I have learned to arm myself with God's word of truth before I go to bed. It's like I jump into my armor and grab my sword and shield 'just in case' and then I'm able to pray and keep focused on Christ before I fall asleep. Some nights I pray for a TON of people and other nights it is much shorter.<br />
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So why am I <i>still</i> up typing this when it is so late and I have to get my kids ready for school in the morning? I'm typing this because I knew I needed to share it. This was way too perfect. It was definitely a God thing to put it all together the way it was in my devotion tonight.<br />
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You may already know, if you've read my blog before or talked to me in person, that I have several scripture verses that I say and pray about just about every day. One of them is "I will NOT die, I WILL LIVE, and declare the works of the Lord. Psalm 118:17 I say this verse because I believe that it is my choice to live and I'm not about to allow the devil to steal it from me. And I pray that I will live an abundant life because that is a blessing that God has given to his children. I also pray that I will walk by faith and not by sight, nor by feelings. I often say that it doesn't matter to me what the doctors have said, they can only do so much and they are not in control because if they were, I would think that they would heal people so they had a better track record. I say that I choose to live because I have a calling on my life, to be a wife, a mother, and to minister to kids and their families. Do you get where I am going with all of this? It was all wrapped up with a beautiful bow in my devotion from <u>90 Days to Possessing Your Healing</u> by Kynan Bridges. Here's what my devotion was tonight. I share this with you because I <i>know</i> someone else needs to hear this too.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Day 52: You shall live</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. -Psalm 118:17</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I cannot speak for anyone else, but I can remember times where I honestly thought I was not going to make it. I had accepted a lie from the enemy. Does this sound familiar? It may come in the form of a doctor's report, a symptom of illness, or a spiritual attack from the forces of darkness. No matter what it is or how it looks, you must make a conscious decision to declare the Word of God over your situation. David, the psalmist and king of Israel, understood this truth. he declared in Psalm 118:12, "they compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them." The enemy was afflicting him; he was surrounded on every side. Like bees swarm around a person when they come near their honeycomb, so the enemy surrounded David. This is a tactic of intimidation and control. Why? It's because the enemy does not want you to obtain the blessing God has prepared for you. He does not want you to experience healing and breakthrough. Life David, you are going to have to open your mouth and declare, "I will live and not die!" It doesn't matter what the doctors say, you have a job to do and a purpose to fulfill. Don't give up now! You are too close to the "honeycomb." The devil may "sting" you, but he can't kill you because you have a covenant with Almighty God. Jesus came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. We recently received a testimony of a young lady who was diagnosed with stage three cancer. She got a hold of our teachings and began to declare that she was not going to die. She determined that cancer was not going to have the last word. Every day she spoke the promises of God over her life. After a very intense spiritual and physical battle, her physician declared that there was no cancer in her body. You shall live and not die!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Healing prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus, I declare that I shall live and not die, I will declare the works of the Lord all the days of my life. Your Word says that with long life You will satisfy me. Thank You, Lord, for health and wholeness all the days of my life. From this day forward I refuse to be intimidated by the enemy. I refuse to accept any of his lies any longer. Lord Jesus, I come to You as my Deliverer, for You know everything that concerns me. You are aware of every frailty in my life, yet You choose to love me unconditionally. right now, I receive Your zoe life in my mortal flesh. Never again will I yield to the evil report of the enemy, but I will set my eyes and hope on You. In Your name I will overcome every sickness, disease, infirmity, or hindrance. Amen!</i></span><br />
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You see that? It was all there in tonight's reading. Everything that I have been believing and speaking. All together to remind me that God is NOT done with me yet. He has a plan for my life, dying of cancer is NOT it and I do NOT quit this battle. I am praying for you tonight. Do NOT give up! Do NOT listen to the lies that you hear. <i>Remind</i> yourself of God's promises. His word is TRUTH! Speak it and believe it and receive it! It is sooooo worth it!<br />
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I had the guts to write this post tonight because of a message I listened to from my pastor and from other pastors that I listen to teachings from. It was confirmed to me in more than 1 teaching, which to me means that God is trying to tell me something and I should listen. This is a message of Hope from the book of Romans. This is a message that despite what you have going on in your life, no matter how hard it may seem to be, know that Praising God <i>through</i> the storm will get you <i><b>through</b></i> the storm. That's why I'm sharing...I am giving GOD the <u>glory</u> and removing any power that the devil had on me, any fear of what people would think that the numbers have gone up after they were down in the normal range for a few weeks and I am taking that power back. It is not going to be stolen from me because God is greater. I will continue to stand on God's word because I believe it is TRUTH! I hope you will stand against your battle too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-61586467238332750602016-08-09T07:14:00.001-07:002016-08-09T07:14:46.102-07:00God is Amazing!!!On Monday, August 1st, I had another treatment. This was the 3rd of the new chemo cocktail (that's what they refer to it as) that I was switched to. I've been doing treatments for every 3 weeks since the end of May 2015 with only a few breaks between for surgery & recovery. And you may not know that a few months ago the tumor marker numbers were starting to rise. That seemed to indicate that something was going on. So I was sent for a CT scan. The doctor said there were lesions on my liver from the cancer spreading. I was then sent for a biopsy to see what was going on pathology wise. It came back that the estrogen part of the cancer was activated again. The Her2 part was borderline so they wanted to switch the daily pill and the IV chemo meds that are administered every 3 weeks. They measured the tumor marker again (which is a blood test) and it had gone up to 110. It should be noted that a number equal to or less than 38 is considered normal. And at one point the number I had was about 12 points away from normal. I longed for it to be in the normal range & kept praying about it.<br />
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Now I trust God. And I know that He is faithful. I know that it doesn't take much faith, only the size of a mustard seed, and that doubt takes away from my faith. I also know what God told me about being healed and I know He will keep that promise. So I keep pressing forward. It's not always easy. The devil likes to play mind games and he seemed to reserve planting the seeds of doubt for when everyone else in my house is asleep and I am trying to fall asleep or when I wake in the middle of the night. So I started a new devotion book using the Kindle app. I got a great deal on Book Bub and only paid $0.99. I started reading one devotion each night before I go to bed from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/90-Days-Possessing-Your-Healing-ebook/dp/B00J75E7AS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1470624365&sr=8-1#navbar" target="_blank">90 Days to Possessing Your Healing</a> . I figured that way it was fresh in my mind and it would be easier to combat the lies and doubts from the devil. I'm not very far into it, only about day 11 but I will say, it has been quite helpful to me.<br />
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The other day I received an email from my patient portal from the doctors office saying that a test result was ready and I quickly signed in and opened it up. I found that it was from the blood draw on Monday and I actually already had a hard copy of the test but they had just put it into my digital portal. I thought it might have been the results of the tumor marker number and I have been praying that it would be down from 110. But it wasn't ready yet. And ya know what? That was okay. It gave me 1 more night to prepare my heart, and mind to receive what I have been praying about for so long. On Thursday night, I read day 10 devotion and it talked about how we are to pray and believe that we have received what we pray for. It's actually found in Mark 11:24 and was the verse I had been praying for months. I actually had it as my screen on my phone to remind me but had recently changed it because it had become invisible to me from seeing it so much, or so I thought. The title of day 10 was actually "Don't pray and worry." The devotion talks about us having an attitude of possession of what we pray for and believe by faith that we have received it. Here is what struck me the most:<br />
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The moment you pray, you must take ownership of the miracle for which you are asking.</h3>
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BAM!!!! It really hit me right where I needed it.<br />
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I have talked about taking ownership of actions to my kids on several occasions. I'm trying to teach them to be responsible and :"taking ownership of choices" is one of those things. So this really hit me. It was time to remember that what I had already asked God for nearly 3 years ago, was already mine. His healing is mine! And part of the devotion prayer that I read had me state "that I refuse to be manipulated by the severity of my condition, but instead I choose to rejoice in Your great power and ability to bring Your Word to pass in my life." This had hit me so hard square in my face and made such an impact on me that when I went to bed Thursday night, I was confident that the tumor marker number would be lower than 110 when it finally came through the portal.<br />
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I am extremely pleased and excited to say that Friday morning, I got an email saying I had another test result ready to be viewed and when I signed in, it was the tumor marker number and it was 20.9!!!!!! Not only did God bring that number down, but he ALSO did immeasurably more and it is in the normal range. Praise God!!! To God be ALL the Glory!!!! He is amazing, He is good, He is our Healer!<br />
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It was nice to see a test result start lining up with what I know is God's truth that I am healed and he will restore my body from the damage that was done from the cancer. I am so thankful and continue to praise God for WHO he is, not just WHAT he does.<br />
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I hope that many find this encouraging to NEVER give up. God cares deeply about YOU! He really does. He wants you well. He wants you healed, restored, and for you to be strong in your faith and have no doubt that He will do what He says. He loves you!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-62789172635996133052016-07-18T21:09:00.001-07:002016-07-18T21:09:32.342-07:00It's not Thursday but....Since these fun updates seem so far and few lately I thought I'd try to shorten the gap from the last one to now.<br />
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It's not Thursday when I like to do my Thankful Thursday but any day is a good day to be thankful.<br />
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I am thankful that I have the ability and courage to attempt and succeed in making the invitations for my sister's wedding that is coming up quickly. We couldn't find what she was looking for, nor could we find a good price so I made them and am awaiting their printing. They should be done on Thursday and I will be happy to hand them over to her so she can send them off to family & friends.<br />
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I have also been working on the inserts with hotel, registry, RSVP, and directions. Lining those things up was quite a challenge. I didn't get them perfect but I'm sure it will be okay because at least they will be done and ready for those invitations on Thursday.<br />
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I am thankful that tomorrow I am getting some new furniture for our living room. I am so excited to get a love seat that I can sit with Adam again. Due to the bones of my back only liking certain angles, I am unable to sit on our couch. :( Which means I sit in a recliner by myself unless one of the kids comes to snuggle with me. I am thankful they can do that but I am excited to be able to sit next to my Love soon. :) And we got the powered love seat so I can be extra comfy by stopping wherever it is most comfy! Yay!!!<br />
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I am thankful that we have sold some of our gently used furniture and that we will be able to sell it all very soon.<br />
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I am thankful that my dad is coming over tomorrow to install a new pedestrian door in my garage. One that will open and shut. We've been without one of those for so long that it's gonna take getting used to.<br />
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I am thankful my mom is coming over to visit tomorrow too and she's bringing pictures to go through. I enjoy looking at pictures and so do my kids! Gonna be fun!!<br />
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I am thankful that my mother in law is so kind to make dinner for us and not only did she make an amazing meal but while it was cooking, she helped me sort through piles of clothes, the canning supplies, etc. We didn't finish today but we sure made a nice dent in the mess and I'm planning to get more of it done tomorrow before my parents get here.<br />
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I am thankful that my kids are buying into our new laundry system where they each do their own laundry like once a week. Braly did his today and I asked Gabby to help him hang and fold the clothes since I was busy & would normally help him. They worked together & Braly said, "Hey mom, we're already done!" Yes, that's what I was hoping for them to learn...that it doesn't take long.<br />
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I am thankful that most days I feel pretty good and can do many things with my family & get things done. I sometimes get frustrated that it takes me longer than I like but I have today & I will keep going and keep trying!<br />
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I am thankful for so much more but it is time for me to head to bed now. I am thankful that I have a comfy bed to sleep in and get rested so I can do more things tomorrow.<br />
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I am thankful for God's word that says, I will not die but live and I will declare the works of the Lord! Psalm 118:17 I stand on this promise just about every single day!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-15861466925690646332016-06-03T06:20:00.003-07:002016-06-03T06:20:43.377-07:00Feeling a little emotionalDoing things a little backwards today. I posted this on FB and thought I should share on my blog for any followers that might miss it on there.<br />
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Feeling a little emotional today and it's not even the last day of school yet. As I drove Gabby to school, she asked that I not just pray for her today but pray for her whole class. There's almost 200 of them. As I prayed for them, the tears started to fall from my eyes for several reasons, these kids are moving from junior high to high school in a few short months. I don't know all of them but I've helped out with different things at school and watched these kids. I know some of their stories and some have rough lives. I prayed for them today as if they were all my own and it made me think of how much more God loves each one of them because they ARE his. My tears are of a proud mom seeing what these kids have accomplished so far and I prayed for them to make wise decisions in all that they do, to be safe, to stay away from drugs and alcohol, to stay away from pornography, to stay away from bullying and to stay away from anything that could hurt them and cause more pain then what they may already be feeling. I asked for God to soften their hearts and call each one of them to have a relationship with Him. I poured out my heart for each one because even though they are not mine, I feel a sense of responsibility to guide them regardless of who they are. Parents of these kids, the class of 2020 only have 4 short years to finish pouring into their kids before they graduate high school. Don't waste even a day. Every day counts when it comes to these kids. They need their parents and community to guide them in good morals and with grace and love to be the best they can be. And I need to pray for the parents too because this is one tough job.</div>
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Today Morgan visits The "U" because next year she leaves her elementary days behind. I am thankful that God is helping us guide her into a lovely young lady too. I am thankful that we have had some experience already with 2 older ones to help guide her in the right direction. She doesn't get to make all her own choices but she is getting more opportunities. She too needs plenty of grace as we all do and I pray that we continue giving her a balance of what she needs.</div>
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Braly has a fun day today since his was postponed due to weather earlier this week. But thinking about him leaving The "U" and entering the junior high in a few months is emotional too. I don't think he's the youngest in his class by any means but he is quite mature and I look forward to him having some really great and amazing teachers in the 7th grade in the fall. And as I gear up for summer to be here in a few days with the kids finishing this school year I am amazed at all they've done and been through this last year. I am forever thankful and grateful to God for carrying us through each day and week, month and year. With man nothing is possible, but with God, ALL things are possible! He's is faithful and right by our side always.</div>
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To my amazing children, mom & dad are so very proud of your accomplishments this year. You may not receive awards, as in trophies or recognition in front of all your peers and school for being outstanding but you certainly are! You are kind, respectful, obedient, helpful, persistent, determined, loving, caring people and we are more than pleased to say these things and are blessed that God sent you to us. Each one of you are a walking miracle and huge blessings to our family!!!!!<br />Psalm 127:3-5 New International Version (NIV)</div>
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3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,<br />offspring a reward from him.<br />4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior<br />are children born in one’s youth.<br />5 Blessed is the man<br />whose quiver is full of them.<br />They will not be put to shame<br />when they contend with their opponents in court.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-74281068258632379472016-04-24T19:50:00.002-07:002016-04-24T19:50:25.814-07:00Catching UpIt's been quite some time since I have been on my blog. I just haven't made the time to sit and write and thought it was time to catch up again.<br />
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I completed Physical Therapy. When I was retested at the end, I had gained more flexibility as well as the pain was nearly gone. I also shaved off a few seconds from one of the tests. The physical therapist was so encouraging and positive that it helped me feel much better about where I am with everything. It also gave me hope that I can continue working toward a healthier goal for myself despite what I have been diagnosed with and that made a difference in my outlook and attitude. I sometimes need a reminder. I am not completely consistent with doing all my stretches but I am doing some of them on a daily basis. I just received a card from my PT and that was perfect timing to help me remember to do what I have been taught.<br />
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About 6 weeks ago the tumor marker number was tested and it had increased 10 points from when it was tested like 2 months prior to that. So it was redone last time and it came back 2.5 points up. The doctor considered this stable but we will be talking tomorrow about things. I was informed at my last appointment that I will have to continue on the Herceptin & Perjeta chemo treatments for as long as they work. Most people with Her 2 positive receptors do the meds for 1 year and then they are done. Since they diagnosed me with stage 4, they want me to continue on them for as long as they work. I'm not overly thrilled with that info but I just keep remembering that God told me he'd take care of it all so I put it into his hands & trust his word to be truth! I know he's not a liar.<br />
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I have been feeling quite good and am planning to do a rummage sale with the help of my kids as soon as we can get it ready & there is good weather. We need to get these extra clothes & toys and misc out of our house and see if we can make a little extra money to help out. We have been working on paying off our debt this last year in a big way and we are finally making some progress. We don't say no to ourselves ALL the time but we have said no to a LOT lately and that is helping. <br />
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I can't believe that school is coming to a close in the not so distant future. I am looking forward to having my kids at home but may be looking at another surgery soon. I have to find out my options for reconstruction from the mastectomy so we can make a decision. And then if it involves surgery, we can get that done soon so we can have a great summer.<br /><br />Thank you for the continued prayers for me and my family. We wouldn't be thriving like we are if we didn't have God at the center of our lives. A few weeks ago I was praying about how to help my kids learn to do a daily devotion and time with God and the holy spirit gave me the idea to use The Bible App on my phone and choose a different devotion for each of my kids. He also gave me the idea of when to do this with each of them so that I could have some one on one time with them and so far, it's been working GREAT for the last 2 weeks. On school days, so 5 days a week, I sit down with Braly & we read through his devotion before he heads to school. That way he starts his day out in the right direction. I drop him off at school and then spend a few minutes with Gabby doing her devotion before she gets dropped off at school. When I am helping Morgan finish up getting ready for school, we have time before the bus comes to read her devotion. We missed last Monday for Morgan because she had an appointment but we did her reading after school. I am thoroughly enjoying this time with each of them and it is lending some information for some great conversations. We've talked about history, genealogy, and so much more over the last 2 weeks. They are asking more questions about our faith and what I am really gearing toward is them making our faith their own. What I mean by that is, they aren't just choosing our faith because mom & dad have this faith, but rather they choose it because they want to and they feel called to serve and love God. For the longest time I struggled with how to be consistent with my kids and doing devotions. I never thought that I'd be able to do one on one with them in the morning without rushing or being late but it is working great. I think that I will continue doing The Dig: Luke Vol 1 at dinner time when we can because we were all enjoying that one but I won't fret if we don't do it every day. Oh, just had a holy spirit idea, We can do The Dig on weekends when it is easier for us to be together. And I have a cute little devotion book for preschoolers that I do with Sadie. It has super cute illustrations and simple, yet practical & powerful info with an age appropriate version for the Bible verse. I used it with the older 3 and they got a lot out of it. I sometimes see them pick it up and read through several pages of it still. It's great to see that. And I imagine I'll keep it to use with my grandchildren some day. :)<br />
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Time for me to head to bed. One of the things that I often struggle with is getting to bed at a decent time. I go in spurts of doing great to stinking at it. And I know that my body needs a good amount of rest so I must take care of this temple I have and get it to sleep.<br />
<br />Have a great week friends! Be encouraged to set some goals and work toward them. With God, All things are possible!<br />
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P.S. don't forget that you can subscribe to my blog so you won't miss a post, especially with how much time can pass before I sit down and write. Sign up with your email and it will go right to your inbox when I update the blog. It's on the right side of the page as : Follow by email :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-76183543908597417332016-03-01T15:14:00.003-08:002016-03-01T15:14:34.772-08:00My first day of PTMy plan when I was to see the Physical Therapist (PT) was to get some exercises to do at home and not really go back very much because I figured that I already have so many appointments for myself and then all the ones for the kids. I'm just getting appointmented out. If that's a thing. Lol But I wanted to keep an open mind because I have pain in my low back on and off depending on what I do and a constant pain in my heel, partially from all the gained weight due to steroids and chemo treatments. It hurts terribly and causes fatigue more than I'd like. Well today, I saw a wonderful Physical Therapist and she was able to make my heel not hurt for awhile. She also loosened up the muscles in my hip and made me feel lighter. I was so excited and thrilled and surprised for this to happen that I actually started to tear up. At first it was because as she was working it really, I mean REALLY hurt. But when she was finished and I got up to walk around, I couldn't believe how amazing I felt. I was actually thinking that unless God removed all the pain or I started taking pain meds daily, I would be stuck with the pain. NOPE. I was praising God and thanking my PT and told her that I'd do my stretches and come back the 2 times each week to get better.<div>
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So Friday I go back. The pain free walking lasted for a few hours but I know that it will get better. I will continue healing just like God told me.</div>
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On another note, please pray that I can get some resolutions. I appealed to our insurance for them to cover some charges with the chemo treatments and they denied my appeal. I am bummed because things like this shouldn't be a problem. It's quite frustrating. I am thankful that the hospital will give me a discount but it adds up quickly. I just have to remind myself that God will provide and all will turn out just fine.</div>
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In the meantime, I'm going to work at getting myself more flexible and stronger. </div>
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Blessings,</div>
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Jeannette :)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-42050431845275882492016-02-29T09:42:00.003-08:002016-02-29T09:42:31.860-08:00Seek and FindHave you ever played hide and seek? It can be a fun game but it can also be frustrating if you are playing with very good hiders and in a place that is big and has many good hiding places. Have you ever played with a small child? They often times can't stay put long enough to be found. They giggle when you are getting closer or they hear you looking for them. Their excitement just can't be contained. And I'm not sure if you ever noticed but if you are taking turns hiding and seeking with them, they often go and hide in the exact same place that you just hid. I find it cute & funny because they figure it was such a good hiding place for you that they should try it themselves.<br />
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Well, last week I was spending a little time with God and the Holy Spirit stirred up the verse Jeremiah 29:13<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLH3MwdgL3koJOLxB6PaMUKqYrBmxHlNQ3El8DINxDPdL94Xl-uqDYhyth5D1b7uaZJVnOxcs8HTbX-hzTkD60ad_B_cMlsS6axM0uH_4KRVNRmgUhEyxXHbo5bMXlbelCDHp5AZEuRo/s1600/seek+me.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLH3MwdgL3koJOLxB6PaMUKqYrBmxHlNQ3El8DINxDPdL94Xl-uqDYhyth5D1b7uaZJVnOxcs8HTbX-hzTkD60ad_B_cMlsS6axM0uH_4KRVNRmgUhEyxXHbo5bMXlbelCDHp5AZEuRo/s1600/seek+me.png" /></a> It had been bopping around my head all day Thursday as I was taking care of my 9 year old since she broke her collar bone. While we were in the ER for 3 hours and while we waited for her medicine to be ready at the pharmacy. And while I ran a few errands to get her school work and make arrangements for her when she went to school today. And then when I picked up my other 2 school aged kids. I was rather tired from all the running around and waiting but this verse did not leave me. Then when I was talking with my sister, I shared this verse with her. I told her I couldn't remember where it was found but what she shared with me, it seemed that I should share this verse with her. She said, "thanks, I needed that." I told her that it's neat how the Holy Spirit works and that I was glad I could encourage her because in truth, that actually encouraged me too. And the verse seemed to be a good fit for both of us with completely different situations.<br />
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Today as I was listening to a teaching about God's Best for us, the teacher started out with the verse that many people know. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." As powerful as that verse is, when you understand who it was written to, I think it speaks even more. It was inspired by God and Jeremiah the prophet wrote it. It was at the time when King Nebuchadnezzar had defeated Jerusalem and had taken the people captive. These people probably thought that God had forgotten about them but in truth, they were the ones that had forgotten what God had taught them, what he had done for them and they needed to know that God still loved them and had great plans for them. I think it is in the New King James Version it says "an expected end". Which means that it was a better ending then they could ever hope for. What God wanted to remind them was that they needed to turn back to Him and call on Him and He would be there to answer. He didn't just up and quit like some kids do when they get tired of playing Hide and Seek. No, He never goes away but us silly humans seem to forget the things He has done for us and we turn away. We stop seeking Him. We quit looking for Him. I'm not saying that seeking Him is a game but since most of us have played that game, we can relate. It's rather annoying to play with someone that quits right in the middle. Thankfully God loves us so much that He will overlook that we quit. He's glad that we jumped back in and started seeking Him. We need to keep seeking Him and if we stopped, the super cool thing is, we can start seeking Him again and He will be there for us.<br />
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So the 4 verses read:<br />
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No matter what you need to seek God for, keep doing it, you WILL find Him. Sometimes it takes me quieting myself over and over before I hear what God has for me. It's not usually an audible voice that I hear but it is usually quite distinctive in my spirit and I know it's God. I have had some times where I thought I heard something and then wasn't sure and He confirms it for me by having someone share a Word with me or I read it in a devotion or hear it in a teaching and it cements it that <i>it was</i> God. I hope that you will keep seeking God. I believe that <i>you will</i> find Him!</div>
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Blessings,</div>
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Jeannette :)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-56073132042673738442016-02-04T11:21:00.002-08:002016-02-04T11:21:32.897-08:00On the Cookie Train & Star Program<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's Thankful Thursday today and I've been praying for a few people as the prayer requests come to my email from church or I see a need on FB. I am thankful for a Good Heavenly Father that cares about the big and little things that affects us and He wants us to bring our prayers and concerns to Him & He wants us well!<br />
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I have been gaining some energy back and it feels good. I'm thankful that I have more energy and have been able to plan and cook meals for my family & keep the laundry caught up with my little Laundry Helpers. I am trying to follow our budget better and see if our grocery allotment can be less than it has in the past but still have a variety of good foods to eat. It is a challenge. Anyone else struggle with this? I'm working on making some pretty/fun envelopes for the envelope system that are a great size to fit into my wallet. They will be much easier to carry & keep track of and being pretty will help me to stick with using them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-mb3AA5m5D85cPCWXnyJJwpLBK2QwnffloJ0IKD5zMor5ubcvOjeo2r21bUX5BbVbFG2oQckLwo9qSuWh4aLBBaglq1k21IaLDUC_CVh4FupxS_NuOE-wXhxUUcqSUKAYy8O5jnVN2I/s1600/DGT25_Lea_Doll_Book_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-mb3AA5m5D85cPCWXnyJJwpLBK2QwnffloJ0IKD5zMor5ubcvOjeo2r21bUX5BbVbFG2oQckLwo9qSuWh4aLBBaglq1k21IaLDUC_CVh4FupxS_NuOE-wXhxUUcqSUKAYy8O5jnVN2I/s320/DGT25_Lea_Doll_Book_1.jpg" width="320" /></a>I am super grateful that I've had the energy that I need to take my little Girl Scout out selling her <br />
cookies because we are on the Girl Scout Cookie Train right now. Morgan is working to earn herself the American Girl Doll of the Year for 2016, Lea Clark. And she's trying to help her troop get the funds they need for their 42 girls to complete their badges and trips for this year. She is learning that selling 600 boxes of cookies is a lot of work and takes a lot of time. It is not impossible but it is challenging. Last year was her first year and she sold a little over 300 boxes for the 10 weeks that they can sell. This year, she's been selling for almost 2 weeks out of the 10 weeks and she's up to 437 boxes, which is 73% of her goal. She also made another goal to try and sell 36 donated boxes of cookies. She's got 15 sold which is 42% of that goal. Her troop also has a goal of 3,000 boxes. So Morgan has been practicing her math skills along with her money skills and learning confidence and overcoming her shyness. Tonight she gets to make Valentines for Vets which I think is a great event to attend. We all need to know that we are loved. So if you want cookies, you can order from us if you are local or you can order online from her site and they will be shipped right to your door but the way you pick the boxes is limited and you pay shipping. We've had some people send money in the mail or I can collect money from Paypal as a gift if you'd like to contribute to her cookie donations (they go to our Military & food banks). To order & have shipped to your door, just visit Morgan's site at: http://onlinemarketing.abcsmartcookies.com/GirlInternetOrders/Invitation/Open/806db845-70fd-4306-8fdc-55eb00db3931<br />
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Yesterday was my treatment appointment. And I have decided to utilize the STAR program that OSF has available. It stands for Survivorship Training and Rehabilitation and is a nationally recognized program to improve the lives of survivors who often suffer from side effects caused by cancer treatments. Even though I am doing super thanks to God's healing hands upon me, I thought it might help me strengthen myself and increase energy even more and give me information about lymphedema. Most of my arm, shoulder, and side have gained feeling back but it is still coming out of that 'pins & needles' phase. It's kinda hard to believe that it has been 6 months since the mastectomy surgery. I am so very thankful for God's guidance, for the prayers of His people and for His healing touch on my body. I'm hoping that this program will give me some knowledge in how to strengthen myself even more & help me have confidence in what I can do and help me to stick with health movements, even if they aren't the conventional ones I was used to doing. Maybe help me get past that and find a 'new' way of doing what I need to do.<br />
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I've been enjoying my time with Sadie this week. We've been practicing sounds that she has trouble with. I know it isn't uncommon for kids her age to have trouble with these but we practice and say silly things and make silly faces to make it fun while she learns. We've practiced writing some letters beyond those from her name and today we've been playing with the Littlest Pet Shop animals and the My Little Pony Friends that she has. She helped at Photography Club and when I told her that I finished the cross-stitch I was working on while at treatment yesterday, she asked me if I could make her a Rainbow Unicorn now. The problem with that is I don't have a good pattern to follow so I was trying to make one in my program but it is going to take me a long time and I'm not sure it's going to work. I think I'll resort to the more simple one instead. I think she'll be just as happy with it and maybe someday we can make this other picture into a good pattern.<br />
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Let me leave you with this...we've been teaching the kids about having the right attitude in our class on Sunday and the verse we've been working on is Psalm 51:10. One of the things we talked about last week was "Having an Attitude of Gratitude" and how being thankful can change one's attitude, even when times are difficult. This is a challenge sometimes but sooo worth it. What are you thankful for? Does that help give you a different perspective on a situation? Let's encourage each other to have an attitude of gratitude and get our hearts right with God. He desires us to have pure/clean hearts and a steadfast/right spirit. Enjoy your day!<br />
~Best Regards Jeannette :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-53039762862018566572016-01-22T23:37:00.000-08:002016-01-22T23:37:16.486-08:00Gotta Keep on Trusting HimWell the holiday and fun family time is well over. The kids are back into the school routine...well sort of until they all got that stomach bug that was going around. Then they each took turns missing a day or 2 of school and I was kept busy taking care of them all. Adam even ended up getting hit & could actually use your prayers as he's still trying to recuperate completely from it. It has zapped his energy and I have a feeling this weekend is going to include a lot of rest for him.<div>
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Medical wise things have been going pretty good for me. Sort of in a "holding pattern" I guess. I am still having to go in and get 2 kinds of chemo for the Her2 receptors every 3 weeks but that is going mostly good. There have still been a few side effects but overall I am good and actually gaining more energy with each day. It feels good to accomplish things around the house a little more like I used to. It may seem trivial but keeping the laundry caught up and making meals without being so exhausted feeling is nice. Last week when I had the treatment, it actually made me cold but was also on that 18 below day so that didn't help. I will have to be sure to layer better next time. It's the first time I ran into that problem since I started this treatment plan at the end of May and I refuse to bring any of my own beautiful blankets or prayer shawls in because I simply don't want to have more laundry to do & it would have been exposed to far too many things to just continue using it in my home. I'm a little weird that way I guess but when they told me that I had to flush the toilet twice for 48 hours after a treatment, I just use extra caution for my hubby & kiddos. I could use some prayers because I have to appeal some billing for the treatments with the insurance company and would like some favor for a good response. Oh, I almost forgot. They drew blood for the tumor marker to be done. The last time it was done was in Nov and it was 49, this time it came back as 47 and the results I looked at said that under 38 is normal. :) To God be the GLORY! He's healed me and it's manifesting in more than this one way.</div>
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I haven't talked about it in awhile but I have continued to keep reading my Bible and am nearing the challenge of reading through the whole Bible. It has taken me nearly 2 years I think but that is okay. I have learned a lot so far and it isn't as though that was the only thing I have been doing for my quiet time. I've only got Revelations left. That's how close I am and for some strange reason, I've slowed down finishing it. I think perhaps I don't want it to end but that's so silly because if I desire, I can just start over again. Right? Do you ever have silly thinking like that? I've also been reading a book titled "When Heaven Invades Earth". It's wonderful and powerful. Sometimes I read too fast as though I'm just trying to get to the end but with this book, I'm trying to absorb as much of it as I can. I read a little before going to bed and then pray and ponder on what I've just read. I feel as though I should go back and re-read it because it just makes so many great points and I want to remember as many as I can. I have it in the Kindle App and I love that because I can highlight and make notes as the Holy Spirit speaks to me. </div>
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Please pray that I am able to self discipline myself to get back onto a reasonable sleep schedule. I need to be sure to take care of myself and I'm not using my time in the best way so I am trying once again to not be a night owl because my job as a wife and mother require me to be a daytime person. Thanks. I don't know about you but there are many things I'm working on and what I keep reminding myself is to just keep trying and moving forward from where I'm at. Not worrying about how many times I have had to start something over again, whether it be to get to bed at a decent time or to eat healthier, or exercise or stick with the laundry, or have my quiet time with God each day, or stop some bad habit or start a good habit...no matter what it is, I realize that even if I fall off the wagon and have to start all over again say a million times, I'm still better off trying again then just plain giving up and saying its of no use. So if you feel that you should work on a change in your life, it might be challenging, you may have to start over AGAIN but tell yourself that's okay and you'll do better. Start where you are and strive to do a little better each day. You can do it with God's help!</div>
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Since I've been doing a lot of laundry from trying to get rid of the germs making everyone sick at my house, I noticed that our dryer was making a new noise..and it was NOT the kind of noise that is good coming from a dryer. Instead of worrying what I'm going to do, I said a fairly simple prayer that went something like this. "Lord, I'm trying to make sure our laundry is done each day. I thank you for giving me the endurance and strength to keep up with it this week. You know our finances right now Lord and you also know what we have need of. Please provide us a dryer at the right time so we don't have to be without and I don't have to figure out what to do to dry everything. Thanks God for always supplying our needs. In Jesus' name Amen." I was on FB and happened to see on the Garage Sale Site for our town that someone had a washer & dryer for sale. A good price too. I asked some questions about the dryer and didn't get much info. Then the next day I went to look for the post and it was gone. The lady had taken the post down & put up one just for the dryer and hadn't tagged me in the new post or answered the question I had from the previous one. I was a little annoyed. But I told myself aloud that maybe she doesn't really know how FB works or how to tag people or anything like that. SO I asked my question again and still no answer. I told myself that maybe she was at work or something & she'd get back with me soon but I could feel myself getting a little anxious that maybe I wouldn't be able to make this sale that I needed happen. And that's when it hit me...I Gotta Keep on Trusting Him, no matter the circumstances. Sooooooo.....I let it go, and it was a little bit challenging because someone after me had posted she'd take the dryer and I thought that my chances of getting this dryer had dropped to a BIG FAT ZERO. Notice that I didn't say it was hard to let this go, nor that it was impossible? Nope...didn't say it because I know with God ALL things are possible and challenging yes, but not impossible & I had to remind myself between thoughts that were rolling around in my head that I had prayed and asked God to provide and maybe He had something better in mind for us. I had to remind myself that<i><u> I</u></i> asked <u style="font-style: italic;">Him</u> to provide and He's always been faithful to answer my prayers and take care of me. ALWAYS!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wzdA37MqRaRIQdwslKDWre3yjUKQZBErFRyTZwbveymJShifRN5PVoFcsYrRZZTRP_11tiDgecmLAVPq-FuMdMayxToie5yXc1lokY6OT8CxVUehwUzqurwNTRecletC5fXag4au_HE/s1600/Come-to-me-all-you-who-are-labour-and-are-heavy-laden-Matt-11_28-30-300x187.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wzdA37MqRaRIQdwslKDWre3yjUKQZBErFRyTZwbveymJShifRN5PVoFcsYrRZZTRP_11tiDgecmLAVPq-FuMdMayxToie5yXc1lokY6OT8CxVUehwUzqurwNTRecletC5fXag4au_HE/s1600/Come-to-me-all-you-who-are-labour-and-are-heavy-laden-Matt-11_28-30-300x187.png" /></a>A little while later, my sister called and asked if I was looking for a dryer. I said why yes I am. She said, I have an extra one you can have. Thank you LORD not only for providing but for helping me to remember how faithful you are. You love me and will provide for me. Trusting God doesn't always look like this situation for me. You all know that. I've had to trust God that no matter what kind of Pet Scan results or blood tests or whatever I get, I know he's gonna take care of me & my family. It's not always easy but I can say it is SO WORTH IT. God has <u>your</u> best interest in mind too. He knows better than anyone what is best for you and saying YES to let him guide you is an amazing choice and journey. Will you take that journey with Him? He is already waiting for you to say yes. He's calling you to come, lay your burdens down at his feet and trust him. He loves you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-23203958375300756222015-12-10T10:46:00.000-08:002015-12-10T10:46:19.588-08:00December 10 Thankful ThursdayI sit here listening to the sound of the movie Home for the millionth time. Sadie really enjoys this movie. She just said, "This movie is a good one." It will keep her busy long enough for me to type this.<br />
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It's time for a quick update. I'm extremely tired today. I woke up yesterday and was feeling really good. My back wasn't hurting for the first time since I slipped on some ice the day after Thanksgiving so I got a lot of stuff done. Still more to do in prep of having my sisters and their families visit us. I really am looking forward to them all being here but like to keep things as simple as possible so we can maximize the visiting. I'm planning simple meals and thinking that since the majority of us enjoy breakfast, that we'll do a brunch on Christmas morning and then we can still have some good food for dinner but the pressure will be off for expectations of a big dinner...well, at least I'm thinking so. I have some amazing sisters so I will have plenty of help.<br />
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Well after the amount of laundry and stuff I got done around the house you would have thought I would have been able to fall asleep easily but something happened yesterday evening that made my heart cry with sadness. I can't disclose on here exactly what happened but lets just say that my 3 school aged children could use prayers with school issues which spans from homework, teachers that don't explain things clearly, friendships, etc. I'm sure there are many others out there that have experienced parts of what I'm talking about. I'll pray for your children & you too. It is hard to see your kids going through those tough times. But I just kept praying about it all last night & messaged a friend for some words of encouragement and was finally able to fall asleep. I didn't get much sleep so I'm not getting much done today but that's okay I guess. I get to enjoy Gabby's band concert tonight and am thrilled that I will get help wrapping presents on Saturday from friends in my church family. I look forward to having that part done early.<br />
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Try not to fill your days ahead with too much stuff to do. Remember the season we are celebrating and take some time to enjoy it between the Christmas parties, performances, and such. Pray for those that you know feel lonely during this Christmas season and be encouraging to as many people as God asks you to. Speak life! Our kids have been arguing too much lately and we keep reminding them to Speak Life to each other. This is a favorite song of mine that I may have shared before but it is definitely worth sharing again. I always like sharing the lyrics of a song so you can read them while listening. They are powerful. the bible tells us that Life and Death are in the power of the tongue. It also tells us to be encouraging to others.<br />
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I'm still praising God that the Chest CT scan was clear. I'm praising God that the pain in my body is leaving and I am feeling better each day. I am thankful for the help that I need and that I am able to do more these days without so many side effects as the Taxotere chemo was giving me. My eyebrows are growing back but up close look kinda funny since they are sticking straight out from being so short. The hair on my head is growing though some days it looks completely WILD! I do my best to be okay with it, especially after looking back at pictures of when I had NO hair. My head and neck are ok with this warmer weather though I really do enjoy the look or a white Christmas. It brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood and the loving, wonderful family I got to spend it with. I'm looking forward to my nails coming back and not being quite so awful. They keep ripping from the chem and some are so short that they kinda hurt but I am thankful that they are growing and getting better. Each day is a sweet and small victory that adds up to the Battle that is already won on my account...and yours too. Well, it's time for me to go purchase some date night tickets to the New Star Wars movie. We hope to take the kids after Christmas but for now, my wonderful, geeky husband and I are going to enjoy some VIP seats and I need to get the tickets before they are sold out. Have another great week. Find something to be thankful for. Just because Thanksgiving is over doesn't mean to forget. If this thankful stuff is new to you, maybe you need to start big and work your way down to all the little things that you are thankful for. We all have something to be thankful for if we look.<br />
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Be thankful & encourage!</div>
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Jeannette :)</div>
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P.S. I am thankful for my baby sister who was born 2 weeks before Christmas years ago. Her birthday is tomorrow so if you know Natalie, wish her a happy birthday.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-18797581782499317032015-12-01T19:08:00.004-08:002015-12-01T19:08:41.471-08:00Praise God for Good Report!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I posted this short update for the results for the CT of my chest on Facebook already but I know there are a few that follow the blog and don't go on FB.<br />
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They did the CT scan on Monday which if you've never had the contrast dye that they give...it's weird. Makes you feel as though you are all warmed up inside and the lady said for some it can make them feel as if they are urinating. Such a strange feeling to be all warm inside like that. Anyway, I saw the oncologist today and he said that the CT scan was clear and didn't show any nodules. He said he's not sure what they saw on the portable chest x-ray but that I am good. I said, Praise God for that good report!<br />
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I am to start up the hormone blocking meds again since I stopped the Taxotere chemo. I still am scheduled to get the receptor meds every 3 weeks but those 2 don't take as long and I was out of there rather quickly today & able to get a few groceries that Adam needs since he's on road most of the week from here on out until Christmas. The next time I go in, I don't even have to have labs drawn which cuts the time there even shorter. It never takes long to draw the labs but takes nearly an hour to get them back so we know if everything is ok for them to give me the nasty chemo. Since I'm not doing that one, I don't need labs next time. That is a nice feeling.<br />
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I have been praying that I get good results for the last 4 weeks and I must say, I sure needed this good news. It is definitely a faith builder to have prayers answered like this. I continue praying & believing for a complete healing because I truly believe that it has been done and I just have to receive it for it to manifest.<br />
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I must keep this short. Sadie has had a runny nose and been waking up between 4 and 5am and not falling asleep again until close to time for everyone else to wake up or after we are all up getting ready for the day. Tomorrow I don't have to go anywhere in the am so I am going to take advantage of that and snuggle with Sadie when she wakes up but I'm heading to bed soon in hopes of getting a better night's sleep since my nose has been runny too.<br />
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Thank you for all the prayers you lifted up on behalf of me and my family. I truly felt them because I was not a basket case waiting to re-run the chest CT and I wasn't a crazy mess from the time of having the CT done yesterday to getting the results. That waiting game can make a person bazerk but I felt mostly at peace and when a thought would come into my mind, I would say my thoughts are captive to you God. And give it to Him to take care of. It certainly worked and though I was expecting good news today, I was relieved to hear it. God is faithful and his love endures forever!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-68784876859462778882015-11-18T08:26:00.002-08:002015-11-18T08:26:31.751-08:00Braly's Favorite Educational Experience 2015<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-1OjOPhG57s" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-66980278690391935192015-11-11T06:19:00.001-08:002015-11-11T06:19:16.938-08:00Happy Veterans Day & Treatment #7 Update: Medical talk included<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I want to start out by saying Happy Veterans Day. I know many people that have served and many who have passed. I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all because Freedom is not Free by any means. Thank you for helping protect my right to worship God as I choose. Thank you for standing up for the rights of people who can't do it themselves. Thank you for your sacrifice in time, money, your lives, etc. Thank you does not seem enough but I greatly appreciate all you've done and those that continue to serve. I pray for healing of bodies, hearts, & minds for the things that you've seen and done and struggle with. For those with PTSD that they will be free from it and healed by God's amazing grace and touch. Thank you Grandpa Kenny for serving in WWII, for Uncle Randy who served in the Navy, for my Dad who served in the National Guard to name a few that are close to me. Thank you to my Grandma Mahoney for writing to service men when they were away from their homes and families to help them stay connected. I too did that for a few people and I like when our community pulls together and sends cards and packages to those stationed away from home. I am going to choose not to name anyone else because the list would start to get long and I know I would miss many special people so instead I will just say Thank you to all service men and women. God Bless you ALL!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX55jGDm6ANvuyL6KcoHmLWmFGy2idXHBvDqUQf-uTA_tvS1ph1KIDscbyaghl4foty909BOIR1XDFhVuqBvzSaG5Lpj0rXoFFlq71xkhZEshTLsSiE28aZWggMNcj_5FTE6JEhQaOzY/s1600/veterans+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX55jGDm6ANvuyL6KcoHmLWmFGy2idXHBvDqUQf-uTA_tvS1ph1KIDscbyaghl4foty909BOIR1XDFhVuqBvzSaG5Lpj0rXoFFlq71xkhZEshTLsSiE28aZWggMNcj_5FTE6JEhQaOzY/s320/veterans+day.jpg" width="291" /></a> This pic is from a few years ago but I really like it & wanted to share.<br />
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I thought that since I'm trying to include a warning about medical stuff I'll be talking about that perhaps I could find an image to use when it comes to that part of the update. It won't always mean that I'm talking in great descriptive detail about things that might seem gross to others but it will include the medical stuff. Hope this helps. Just trying to make it a little easier to navigate through all of this and I am a work in progress and so is my blog. LOL<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6pLR0xJpx4hPqoUFanFmHxBknoSmhcqpUr-NW7bCJoIpd4hTw0xO3JhBbaE91NXrgr-jXQsBQKNCKBdjY84KIBKMc196P1IXdutzQA2VyU7_LzfnQSWdjvdaURkRuzS7XlhYCMwxVhI/s1600/medical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6pLR0xJpx4hPqoUFanFmHxBknoSmhcqpUr-NW7bCJoIpd4hTw0xO3JhBbaE91NXrgr-jXQsBQKNCKBdjY84KIBKMc196P1IXdutzQA2VyU7_LzfnQSWdjvdaURkRuzS7XlhYCMwxVhI/s1600/medical.jpg" /></a>Had another Treatment Tuesday Nov 10th. Spoke with the doctor and what I don't understand is why no one at the hospital told me that on the chest x-ray they did last Wednesday that they found a lung mass. My doctor said that he wants to give me a little time to get over this cold the rest of the way and do a CT scan before my next appointment in 3 weeks so he has the results to go over with me. He said that it doesn't appear that it should be cancer spreading to my lungs because I haven't had anything else that would indicate that but he had a tumor marker number drawn yesterday and we should get that number back in a week or so. And then the CT scan. I am standing on God's word that no weapon formed against me shall prosper and that God is greater and will do immeasurably more than I could even think or ask for. I would appreciate others standing in agreement with me and also for prayer to help keep my thoughts captive to God so that fear and other thoughts don't try to take over as I am entered into the waiting game of the tumor marker numbers & CT scan & results.<br />
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On a good test note, the blood tests that they ran for sepsis came up completely free and clear of infection so PRAISE GOD for that result. I actually had no worries about that. I was like 99% sure it would be clear. That 1% was a slight waiver because my flesh was trying to tell me different than my Spirit already knew & I was fighting it, just like I am fighting this lung mass information.<br />
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I told my doctor that even though today marked Taxotere treatment #7 which is not an even number, I would like to stop at 7. It is viewed as a holy number, God's perfect number.<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.1px;">Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). </span> I told him that I usually like even numbers but that I had been praying about it and feel as though this is the time to stop. He said okay, we will discuss the next options of treatment in 3 weeks. I will still receive the Her2 meds which are perjeta and herceptin every 3 weeks but they don't cause as many side effects for me as the taxotere has. And like I said, I am believing and expecting for the CT scan to be clear in a few weeks<br />
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Wrapping this up I will say...today I have 3 days worth of steroids in my body. Adam has only a few days left of vacation, Friday will be a down day for me when my body needs to rest from the taxotere treatment I got yesterday so today is the big work day to get as much done in our house as we can. We were hoping to declutter together but Adam came off of about 5 weeks of pre-load work where he's up at 2:30am and was working 12 hours most days and it isn't even Christmas season yet. It took his body a little longer to get back onto a more normal schedule and we are really hoping to get lots done today. So I'm off to get dressed and start our day. Have a great Wednesday and remember our Veterans.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-91762615167227663562015-11-06T12:25:00.000-08:002015-11-06T12:25:01.463-08:00Was in the hospitalSo Gabby went to Youth Convention last weekend and had a great time. She got home around 8:30 and then had some homework to finish so she was up kinda late. When she woke up on Monday morning she wasn't feeling the greatest and I thought it was from being tired. Being a little more compassionate for people not feeling well since being diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago, I allowed her to sleep a little longer and tried to take her to school for 2nd hour. She missed Chorus 1st hour and that was okay. However, when she was going to get out of the van she was very nauseous and by the time we walked into the house again, she was in the bathroom getting rid of that nausea. She started running a fever between 100-almost 102. She missed Tuesday as well but the fever was gone by Wednesday so she went to school.<br />
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Warning: Medical talk below....<br />
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I had been very cold Tuesday night and didn't sleep much because I was shivering. My alarm clock went off and I got up, took the kids to school. Made myself a shake for breakfast but was really cold so I didn't finish it. Took a shower trying to warm up and then curled up in my bed to get warmer and fell asleep. I slept most of the day. Made Sadie some food and she stayed pretty close to me so I'd wake up and check on her but I was so sleepy. Then Adam got home and I took my temperature. It was up to 101.6. Not good, especially for a person that has been doing chemo treatments. So I called the doctor's office and waited for a call back. They told me they were concerned that my WBC was low and that I needed to have it checked so I should go to the walk in clinic. I did. They checked for strep because my nose was all stuffy and drainage in my throat and it looked nasty. Negative. They did a urine culture and that was negative and instead of sending me to the lab for the blood draws, they opted to send me to the ER. Oh joy!<br />
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They got me checked in with Triage and into a room fairly quickly. They had the lab people come to me and they had a hard time accessing my port at first because they didn't have a long enough needle, so we waited for about 15 or 20 minutes until someone could get the right size. They had to collect from 2 different sites so my port and then a poke on my arm because they needed to test my blood to see if I had an infection in my blood which translates pretty much to sepsis. But that test takes 2-3 days to get results back. They did a chest x-ray which was negative, and they did a flu test which was negative. I had been praying and the Tylenol that I had taken before going in started to work and I was feeling more myself. They started an IV to re-hydrate me and I continued to wait. The doctor ended up coming back in to tell me and my mother-in-law that I would need to be admitted overnight in order to figure out what was going on. It is protocol for people that have a fever and have had chemo treatments or something. I was not thrilled to hear this. So my mother-in-law couldn't do anything else with me there and went home to get a few things and went to my house in order to get the kids to bed and get them off to school on Thursday and take care of Sadie on Thursday.<br />
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It took until midnight for them to get a bed for me in the hospital and then nearly another hour to get me checked in with a million questions to answer, vitals to be done again and then for me to wait to be seen by the doctor there for an evaluation. I was mostly fine except they hadn't been able to get me any Tylenol to bring the fever back down and I was chilled again. It had been about 9 1/2 hours since I had any and because of the procedures they have in place, I had to wait for the doctor's orders to get into the computer. The doctor was very nice and told me that they planned to keep me until they got the blood test back whether I had an infection in my blood, which meant 2-3 days in the hospital. WHAT!!!!?!!?! No way!!! I did not want to stay so I prayed and told God that I did not want to stay there because I wasn't sick enough to be in the hospital and I wanted him to do something about it.<br />
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I finally took some Tylenol at 1:45 am and was able to try to fall asleep. I was cold but when the Tylenol kicked in, I got hot and threw off all the covers and felt fine ever since then. I've had a bit of a runny nose but that seems like nothing compared to what they were trying to say I might have. I kept telling them that my daughter had the same thing on Mon & Tues but they wanted to keep me. So Adam encouraged me to call my Oncologist in Green Bay and share the info of what was going on and see if he would do anything different. He made a call to his associate that was in Escanaba yesterday and asked if he'd come see me and see whether he felt comfortable advising that I be released. Then he called me and told me this information. I tried to watch tv earlier but there really wasn't anything good on so I shut it off and opened the blinds a little and sat in the chair near the window and prayed. I was just thinking that I wished I had my cell phone so I could continue reading the book I started called "When Heaven Invades Earth" but I had forgotten my phone in the van and I didn't have a charger with me anyway. Then I remembered that there should be a Bible in the room thanks to the Gideons and I went to find it. I found it and sat down and started reading, pausing when my lunch came & when the nurse came to take my vitals. I read for a few hours I think and stopped to pray at different times when I felt I needed to or when the scriptures spoke to me. Then the Oncology doctor came in to see me. He only cracked the door a little and didn't see me in the bed and said where are you because he had heard me reply for him to come in. I said over here. He was like oh, you're not in the bed. I said no, I refuse to lay there when I'm not sick. It made him chuckle. He asked how I was feeling and I said I feel really good. He said well you look great! He examined me and then asked if they were going to release me tomorrow. I said maybe but my other doctor said you might be willing to talk to them and ask for me to be released today. He said, oh sure, I can do that. You seem fine. I explained again how my daughter had the same thing earlier in the week and ran the same kind of temperature and that I hadn't run a fever for any of the chemo treatments I have had. He talked to the doctor and she came in to see me and signed the discharge papers. In the meantime, they had pumped me full of antibiotics and gave me diarrhea to which they tested to make sure I didn't have c-diff. She said that they would call me with the results and she sent me home on an antibiotic of HUGE pills and told me to treat the head cold. I haven't had a fever since it broke in the hospital and I am ever so thankful to be back at home. I don't expect to have a blood infection because if I did have sepsis, I would not look or feel the way I do. I didn't have my phone with me so I didn't have any phone numbers to call anyone and I couldn't get online to tell anyone either. I figured this was the easiest way to share what happened when people start hearing I was in the hospital and asking questions. Sorry I didn't contact anyone, especially close family members. Once I got home around 4:30, it was snuggle the kiddos because we missed each other so much. Then dinner, then chores & homework and a run to the pharmacy to get the meds they prescribed to me. Then get the kiddos to bed and help Gabby finish her homework and then off to bed myself. Whew! But I was sooooo thankful to be able to do those things. Today I did most of my usual things in the morning with getting the kids ready for school. My mother-in-law stayed the night in order to help out again today and took the kids to school and then we've been picking up and cleaning today. And when I received a text asking how I am doing...I thought it was time to sit down and type an update so questions are answered.<br />
God continues to be so GOOD! I was going to share a few verses that spoke to me yesterday but I was unable to mark them because I had the hospital bible and didn't even have a pen in the room so as they come back to my memory, I'll be sure to share. But today was really quite normal. Thanks for the prayers and concerns. And it's Friday so I'm doing great! ~Jeannette :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-68993492905109751392015-10-20T21:58:00.002-07:002015-10-20T21:58:42.880-07:00We need to think before we post words, images, and video, etc. on any type of social media. WARNING included Here's something that has been bothering me & I think I may be personally at fault too.<br />
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This is my personal opinion and I know I could get flack from it but I feel the need to share this. I write this in a non-judgement capacity and out of love. I do not want to take away from what I think were positive intentions, nor do I want to come across as bashing this woman, she has been through a lot, I know this because I've been walking a similar road for 2 years now.<br />
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WARNING: I will be describing an image I have seen circulating on FB of a former cancer patient that I feel is inappropriate. I however, will not be sharing this image. I also describe an abusive video that was circulating months ago. Continue reading if you choose.<br />
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There is a picture that is circulating on the internet, mostly FB, and while I think I understand the reasoning behind this woman posting her picture after having a double mastectomy and radiation treatment and I think chemo as well, I do not agree with the posting of it, especially with no warning in the description that it will show a woman topless. While I believe that her heart is wanting to do the right thing by encouraging women who may get the same diagnosis as her to fight, or her desire to encourage people to educate themselves on breast cancer, or her desire to share with people who have no idea what it may look like to go through treatment of breast cancer, and her desire to give God the glory for getting her through this ordeal, I do not think it is okay to have this picture all over FB and here is why...<br />
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I am trying to teach my children, especially my girls to be modest and this picture, though it does not contain breast tissue as people are used to seeing, it is still the part of a woman that is typically covered by a swimsuit making it private and therefore should at the very least come with a warning. Another reason, this one is near and dear to my heart, is that I have at least 1 child who is <u>very</u> visual. God created her with a phenomenal imagination which means that when she reads something, she very vividly has a picture pop into her head & she can come up with some amazing things to write out with her imagination. It also means that when she does not have enough information about something, her imagination can fill in the gaps and sometimes that can be very scary for a child. It also means that when she sees an actual image, it is burned into her memory. Actually, I've read info from studies done that shows that images of people with few or no clothes on are burned into a person's mind forever, both male & female & I don't think it is limited to an age. So if my child happens to come across an image such as I have described above, it will forever be in his/her mind. What about a person who has a mother that has gone through some of the same treatments as the woman sharing on FB. Another reason I think this image should have contained a warning at the beginning of it's description is because I'm sure I'm not the only mother who has children, specifically girls that may wonder if this will happen to them because it happened to their mom or someone they know. I am speaking about all children in general, whether young or old. Children are dear to my heart, that's why I volunteer to work with them in many capacities. I believe we should help preserve their innocence for as long as possible. They already grow up too quickly and are exposed at younger and younger ages to things they should not be.<br />
Whether you think I'm a prude or fuddy-duddy, or over-protective please know I just want the best for children and want them to enjoy their childhood without being scarred for life. I've worked with and seen far too many people that are grown adults and have so much hurt and pain to work through because of things that they experienced early in life when they should have been protected & they unwillingly pass it to their own children in some way, shape, or form. As for my own children, I do not feel that I am over-protective. Anyone that knows me knows that I do not shield my children from the truth or from bad things that happen, we face them head on and with God's help and we've had more than our fair share of practice. So when I say that it should be my choice of <u>what</u> to share with my children and <u>when</u> an appropriate time is to share these sensitive issues with them, I do it out of what I believe is in their best interest. I have had many private talks with my children addressing all sorts of subjects, including some uncomfortable ones that needed to be talked about. I do not hide them from the world but I know my children and what they can handle better than someone else and at least having a WARNING about content of words or images should have been included in the previously mentioned FB post.<br />
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Please remember that FB is not only for adults and quite honestly, even if it was, this image is not what I would consider appropriate. I have thought about reporting it and have not decided whether that is the way to go or not but I thought that I would at least jump on my soapbox for a minute and give people some other things to consider when posting images on FB. Please think before you share. As I type this, I am reminded that some people don't want to read all the things that I have going on for the last 2 years with a cancer diagnosis. They choose to pray for me and think positive for me rather than reading all the updates. Some people feel deeper than others, it's how God created them and they need to find a balance so they can continue to function in life without being overwhelmed with feeling everything. I completely understand and it's why I try to say that I'll be talking about an update including the diagnosis at the beginning of my post if I can remember. No I'm not perfect, no one is. But I felt it was necessary to remind people to please think before you share, especially an image or a video. For example I saw a description for a video about a woman doing horrible abuse to a small child and I did NOT click on the video. I chose not to. Not because I didn't care about that child but because I knew that imagery would be burned into my mind and I don't like to put all that negative stuff in my mind. I know it happens, I don't need to see it to know it either. Watching things like that, especially done to children, makes it more difficult for me to stay positive and heal. I will admit that I prayed for that little girl right then and there and I prayed for that woman to be held accountable for her actions and to get the help that she needs since she clearly lacked control and proper thinking. My heart tells me that she was hurt, probably in a similar way or saw these kinds of actions and it sickeningly seemed normal to her. I did not agree with what the video description said about the woman deserving to get the same kind of treatment. I'm pretty sure she already did so what good does that do? nothing, she needs Jesus and she needs help to heal & to understand that behavior is not okay.<br />
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My point about the original image I described is this post is this; just because stupid cancer was involved in how this woman came to have a double mastectomy and radiation and shared a photo of her bare torso does not make it entirely different then if a woman that had not had these atrocities happen to her shared her photo. It's not quite apples to apples but also not apples to oranges in comparison either.<br />
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There is no denying that Cancer SUCKS!!!! Mastectomies SUCK!!!! Chemo SUCKS!!! Radiation, the kind that takes several weeks and often causes a sunburn affect on the spots treated, SUCKS!!!!<br />
I don't mean to step on toes or accuse anyone or hurt anyone, I say this in love, we need to be careful of what we share on social media, regardless of the circumstances. We need to think about the BIG PICTURE. For every intention that is meant to help someone, think about whether it should come with a warning to give a reader a chance to make a choice for themselves whether they want to proceed with reading and especially viewing an image or video. I will certainly be trying to do this from now on as I type about my journey to health and healing through my faith and how God is directing my path.<br />
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Thanks for reading if you made it this far. If you have opinions regarding this matter and plan to leave a comment, please be considerate and kind in what you write whether you agree with me or not. I don't want this woman to be bashed because I know that she's been through a lot and she is a survivor. Please be respectful. You may or may not see it in the same way I do...that's ok but please be loving and kind. I have fairly thick skin but I don't want this woman to be bashed. Thanks. Oh and if the image that I have talked about is posted anywhere on my page or shared in my comments, I will remove it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-66724587790756443812015-10-20T21:30:00.001-07:002015-10-20T21:30:54.712-07:00Treatment #6October 20, 2015<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgPUMPKv3UNqA0xdZ-NqxmwXy_dcNUoUTkiTevQoFdICnwthb8yMXWbVXYPC6m-vfvvAavll_qEJSfFkGPk60I4H8hVqwtV3ISZUf_ckonOKrMa3x_t-g3mtwKwflynFPcLQyRq-DWW0/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgPUMPKv3UNqA0xdZ-NqxmwXy_dcNUoUTkiTevQoFdICnwthb8yMXWbVXYPC6m-vfvvAavll_qEJSfFkGPk60I4H8hVqwtV3ISZUf_ckonOKrMa3x_t-g3mtwKwflynFPcLQyRq-DWW0/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>It's only 10 days until my birthday of 39 and I am happy to celebrate that age. In a few days it will be 2 years since I was given a diagnosis of stage 4, metastatic breast cancer by the doctors. And today I had Chemo treatment #6. I had 4 chemo treatments before surgery, then I had 2 months off of it while waiting to heal from surgery and then I had 2 more treatments of it. I still haven't decided whether I will continue with the chemo treatments up to 12 total or whether I will say let's take a break. I have been praying about it and don't feel that I have a definitive answer on it just yet so I will continue seeking God's plan for me until I feel at peace with the decision. Right now I am planning to see how today's treatment affects me to help with my decision but ultimately I am looking to God for direction. I know that God's best for me would be for me to receive complete healing from him right now but since I am having trouble with moving myself towards receiving or something is in the way, I know that God can use other methods to bring about the healing that he wants for me and that he has told me I'd have. His word does not change, we do, but he doesn't and I know I've said this before because it's my favorite verse. In fact, I gave Sadie my bible from when I was 4 or 5 and she carries it around with her and even sleeps with it on her pillow next to her. Yes, I know, very CUTE!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYvAdoaWVSYe3lGTZFqEiguB0gRY5SHzJhEVjiWAS-4-qbY6JQIyaPjuwOphyri2-h7F_vFtYErwMAd-BpzznnvjHcrFZXHthIMqm-sdReK9wNH9NaYh1waBQzPE7zkqiY_6WyFM0lHM/s1600/2e1086c1c62bf8b7eb80399e3acec7a0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYvAdoaWVSYe3lGTZFqEiguB0gRY5SHzJhEVjiWAS-4-qbY6JQIyaPjuwOphyri2-h7F_vFtYErwMAd-BpzznnvjHcrFZXHthIMqm-sdReK9wNH9NaYh1waBQzPE7zkqiY_6WyFM0lHM/s320/2e1086c1c62bf8b7eb80399e3acec7a0.jpg" width="320" /></a> I opened it up to Hebrews 13:8 and I'm not sure when I did it, but I underlined it even in my very old, small, new testament bible that my 3 year old now has. It says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!" That means that when he gives a person a word, he means for it to happen. And through the Holy Spirit I have heard him tell me that He has tore out the root and will take care of the rest. A person praying over me shared with me that I would be completely healed and I believe these words of truth. There are different things that can hold it back from happening right away but God's best is for it to happen immediately and so I am working on getting my mind and heart to line up with what God's word says and what the holy spirit has told me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7yBH-VOCYnjbg8vSiChai2XQPTslU_cGxekPsQ14GVxejWZzjtWbeSCfCJrrjQ-fpV6iimnzK5UZ4iRd-4xDqyvaYiEFvqzt8Emd2xHk8U6Qvff7enp_IyZLwQrFqYmnyE85_CHFu_0/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7yBH-VOCYnjbg8vSiChai2XQPTslU_cGxekPsQ14GVxejWZzjtWbeSCfCJrrjQ-fpV6iimnzK5UZ4iRd-4xDqyvaYiEFvqzt8Emd2xHk8U6Qvff7enp_IyZLwQrFqYmnyE85_CHFu_0/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
And to cement it's truth, here is another verse that shares that God does not change in Malachi. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one so when God says he does not change and in the New Testament it says that Jesus does not change. That's saying the same thing and that is SUPER cool in my mind and heart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEw4Nz-naULuDjN5swCgzssbLf0p2HcsafsjmrSoQ4BTd9UOY2inLJBEpCCnAjf3MJ79rFhCwniQ7OUhkgDCxW1aRJW5UReEj3HkZQQmSGsAim4TFf6Nx70rqVCqm73YtqO64MOHeKh0/s1600/family+fun+night.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEw4Nz-naULuDjN5swCgzssbLf0p2HcsafsjmrSoQ4BTd9UOY2inLJBEpCCnAjf3MJ79rFhCwniQ7OUhkgDCxW1aRJW5UReEj3HkZQQmSGsAim4TFf6Nx70rqVCqm73YtqO64MOHeKh0/s1600/family+fun+night.png" /></a>Remember that awesome gift certificate that Gabby received to have a 1 night hotel stay...we were planning to use it this Friday but the hotel called and they are closing for the season earlier than anticipated and had to cancel our reservation. They did apologize and state that they will most certainly honor our certificate when they reopen in the spring. So even though we are bummed, we are thankful that we have something fun to look forward to after the winter months and we are planning to have a fun family night in our home this Friday instead. I have to plan ahead since I may not have a whole lot of energy but it will all work out. I would likely have had to miss out on swimming in the pool with my family since starting Thursday evening I may be more tired from the chemo treatment and in the past it has lasted about 48 hours total so perhaps it is better that we have to wait until spring so I can join my family in the fun! Yes, this is how I look at things as often as I can...in a positive light. It sure does make life a lot better. And I tried to soften the blow for the kids by telling them that they can each take turns using our whirlpool tub over the weekend. That's a lot of water to put in the tub but it can be very relaxing and fun for them.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-42202749569788037332015-10-15T10:28:00.003-07:002015-10-15T10:28:54.945-07:00I love FallOctober 15th<br />
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It's probably not a big surprise if I say that I love fall. The colors of fall are my favorite. I have a lot of my home decorated in fall colors. And my aunt once told me that a woman should look good in her home and that's why I'm drawn to those colors because they look good on me. Maybe that's true and maybe part of it is because my birthday is at the end of the month of October. Either way, I love seeing the colors change, the trees with the leaves that are bright red and orange jump out at me. I enjoy Fall in the UP with all of God's beauty. What an amazing world He created.<br />
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I have been a very busy person. I have 2 kids that are in Cross-Country and have practice Mon-Thurs each week with meets on Saturdays usually. They got a late start but are doing really good and have changed their attitudes towards it even though I made them be in it. I could see far more valuable lessons being learned by being a part of it that I actually didn't give them a choice. Their last meet is this Saturday and I do enjoy them, even if it can be quite cold to watch and wait for them to race. It would be neat for them to metal but it isn't necessary. I am more proud of them for having good attitudes, trying their best, completing each race, and having such a good relationship with each other (Gabby & Braly) that I am beaming with a smile from ear to ear with their accomplishments this season. I don't even know if they've improved over last year or not. The coaches tell me that they love watching Gabby run because she's always smiling her winning smile. And they have enjoyed watching Gabby & Braly together because they are such good friends besides being siblings. That makes this mama proud.<br />
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Morgan is in Girl Scouts again and we've had a parade for her that helped collect Toys for Tots and they wore costumes and handed out candy. She's had 2 meetings for Scouts and there are several things lined up already for her to participate in if she wants.<br />
<br />Sadie has been anxiously awaiting Storytime to start back up and next Wed is the day. She's pretty excited. She's had a fever of nearly 103 the past 3 nights so I haven't gotten a lot of sleep during the night and am thankful that I was able to sleep after getting the kids off to school 2 times this week.<br />
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Adam has been working the pre-load which means he's been having to go to bed really early. sure can make for a long day for him. He works so hard.<br />
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I had a chemo treatment on Sept 29th with the harsh stuff. It made me tired on Friday the 2nd and I slept for quite a while in the afternoon and have been doing pretty good for the most part. A little mouth cells sloughing off and making my lips and mouth feel weird, almost numb but nothing super bad. Some issues with digestion and having trouble with gluten and diarrhea but overall, I'm doing pretty good and thankful that I am able to take the kids to the places they need to go. I will be thankful for the x-country season to be over with as well and not run quite as much but I have enjoyed this season as well. <br />
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I will be having another chemo treatment with the harsh stuff on the 20th of October and will then decide whether that will be the last for awhile and see if the other meds work or whether I continue. I have had some pain in my low back which could be from previous back injuries or it could be from the metastatic cancer in the tailbone. I am praying and believing that God has removed all cancer cells from my body and speak to the pain to command it to flee. I have been listening to a group called About a Mile and enjoy their music. You should check them out on their YouTube channel and Jeremy Camp's newer cd is amazing. Since I've been busy, it's been challenging to listen to sermons and get out of them what I can because I like to sit down and take notes. I'm one of those geeky note-takers in order to learn. So I've been playing certain songs. There is one that I'll share the video to because it really speaks to me. I hope that you listen to the lyrics and that it speaks to you as well. Check it out and leave a comment about what you think of it.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149415213357603829.post-85219707584302591202015-09-17T20:43:00.001-07:002015-09-17T20:47:20.406-07:00Archived Day 3....coming to terms<h2 class="date-header" style="background-color: white; font-size: 10.14px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.5em; text-transform: uppercase;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.14px; letter-spacing: 0.2em; line-height: 1.4em;">This was accidentally sent to my old blog because I was trying to update from my phone while recovering from surgery back in August. After talking with a few people recently, I realized that some may only follow my blog for updates and not be on Facebook so they don't really know how I'm doing. Sorry friends for that. I will try to remember to update the blog and then share it on Facebook. I will be working to move all updates since the surgery onto here so please forgive me if they become a jumbled mess. I will try to figure it out.</span></div>
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015</h2>
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Day 3...coming to terms</h3>
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I have never been taught to walk away from anything throughout my life. In fact, when I was 16, I totaled my parents van. It was the van I had prayed for us to get, even, right down to the color. I was on my way to DC and hit black ice and totaled it soon after I got back, my parents had a new /used van for us and guess who had to drive? Me of course because they couldn't have me afraid of driving or afraid of life.<br />
Yesterday I didn't do the greatest at facing the situation head on. I tried and well, let me explain.<br />
I was supposed to have a nurse come to the house to help with the drains and the bandages. It had been 48 hours and I was allowed to remove bandages for showering. I was looking forward to it. Showers always make me feel better and with all the iodine on me, I was a little itchy so I wanted to clean up. The nurse didn't call so Adam took the bandages off. Seeing not much left of where my chest was but an incision made me feel light headed so I had to sit on the toilet so Adam could still take care of me. He put a fan in the door to cool the air and gave me a cold washcloth to hold on my forehead. Then he used a warm washcloth to take as much of the iodine off my shoulder and arm while being super gentle and understanding. He joked with me as he checked to make sure everything looked good and then re-bandaged me carefully.<br />
It wasn't even that my belly looked like it stuck out farther and made it look larger. It was simply grieving the loss of part of me that I see every day. It is also grieving the loss of intamacy to some extent. Yes, reconstruction is an option but that will be another surgery, more pain, new things to learn, etc. I am thankful that God is my fortress. He never changes. I can always count on Him!<br />
I am blessed with a patient, knowledgeable, gentle, & kind husband and so many others around me, too many to name. Continue the prayers please. I followed directions and took pain meds every 4 hours for 48 hours and now it's time to see how it goes backing off of them. My skin is still dry and itchy in spots, I'll see if I can fix that today. Hoping to be a little braver & stronger today than yesterday so I can get that shower I long for.<br />
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Sorry no cool graphics for verses today. This is the first blog post I've done from my phone I think & I'm not pushing it. Have a great and blessed day. I know I will because it is Sunday and I'm expecting God to meet me where I'm at.<br />
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<span class="post-author vcard">POSTED BY <span class="fn">JEANNETTE PIERCE</span> </span><span class="post-timestamp">AT <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://www.adamandjeannette.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-3coming-to-terms.html" rel="bookmark" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" style="border: none;" title="2015-08-23T06:25:00-04:00">6:25 AM</abbr></a></span></div>
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