Learning more on my journey

Good evening friends, as each week passes I learn a little more of what life with cancer, life having chemo is like. It's not all fun an games that's for sure. To some because I'm on a trial with one of the top cancer centers in the US, they look at me as though all is great. I've been asked why don't you look sick? Well not all illnesses, diseases, health issues are visible.

Here's some of what I've learned over the past 9 weeks (this is my treatment range thus far).
1. I'm tired when most are ready to hit their day running.
2. I might sleep eight hrs be up for two and sleep another hour. Do I want to do this? No. It's something I'm having to adjust to.
3. I have pains at times others don't understand. I recently found out neuropathy is now a part of my life. If you don't know what this is, it affects your hands and feet. For me it's both, where another it might be only there hands.
I haven't let this stop me. Today for example it was frustrating to practice piano because my fingers felt tingly an a little numb at times. What did I do? I just kept going. Prayed for strength to get my practice time in and continued. Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee...."
4. Planning my day according to how I feel. Another blog was shared with me and the lady who has the blog had an entry on the Spoon Theory. Not the exact title but she used spoons to explain her energy level to a friend. That has helped our family in so many ways.
5. Having, learning to say, "no". This is really hard for me. Especially when I'm having a good day (s). This isn't just to others but to myself. My husband has told me many times, "know yourself". Well, I do, or so I thought. I'm learning more and more to "know" myself.

These are just a few things to help you, that may not understand, to understand more about those who suffer from an invisible illness.

I make each day amazing as I go though in odd ways, or silly ways, sometimes in important ways. I don't dwell on me. God gives me the strength I need from day to day. Trust in the Lord, lean on his word, grow in His word, pray without ceasing.

Yes I have my down days but I don't stay there. God's to good and he gave me an amazing day to make more Amazing! This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Friend call unto the Lord! Trust in the Lord!
Make Today Amazing!

Trusting God

helpersofjoy2.blogspot.com

rather than retyping this particular post I decided to share the link of my post. Hope you enjoy.

Make Today Amazing!

What is your "platform"?

Good evening! I hope each of you are having a wonderful day and that each of you are doing well in each area of your life. Over the past couple of days I've been reading in Matthew and well today, I couldn't get one thought out of my mind, use this journey as a platform. See back in May shortly after I was diagnosed I was talking with Mrs. Kelly Johnson, whom I share the same journey with. It of course isn't a journey we want to add people to but as time goes by others also will join the journey. Kelly had talk to me about having a platform for good, for encouraging, for giving the gospel and so on. As I was in Matthew 5 a verse that I'm sure you all know just jumped out at me, like never before.

Matthew 5: 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is heaven." The part we'll look at in this verse is, "Let your light so shine before men...."

Are you using your platform to let your light shine? Are you being a witness to others? Are you using your life in Christ to show Christ? As we go about our daily lives we should be an example of Christ-likeness. Not this look at me I'm better than you, or I'm so good you should do as I do. No. We are to be a witness and let the love of Christ shine through us. It doesn't matter who you are or where you go. When it comes to witnessing to someone, put a deaf person in front of me and I can witness to them with no problems whatsoever. Put me in front of a hearing person and well, my shyness comes out immediately. I've wondered why I'm like that and I really can't say why. However, I will witness to the hearing just like I would a deaf person. I have to work harder on my platform of witnessing to the hearing but I allow Christ to lead and guide my words.

See my platform, can be used in a variety of ways. I can encourage another with cancer, by sending them notes, calling or visiting. I can use my own cancer to show another that life with cancer isn't the end of the world, that through Christ all things are possible. I can use the time I'm surrounded by those with cancer or other illness (My Mondays at Dana-Farber) that Jesus Loves them and cares for them just as he cares for me. There are many area's in my own life I can use as a platform, not for praise, but for uplifting, encouraging and letting my light shine for Christ.

In your place of work, you can have a platform as someone who is different. The one who doesn't tell the dirty jokes, the one who looks sharp and talks right. At school, if you are the teacher or the student you can have a platform. "Let your light so shine before men...." 


So make your day amazing or even someone else's day amazing by being a light for Jesus Christ.
********************

To give a brief update on how I'm things are going. I have 3 more treatments in Boston. The doctors are very pleased with how things are going. I seem to be having a much better time since my 3rd treatment unlike the 2nd where I was sick throughout almost the whole 3 weeks. God has very good to us in his provision.

My next appointment is August 28th, the Lord has already provided the finances for this trip. We are so very grateful for.

Make Today Amazing!

What "dot" in your life is consuming you?

Good Morning! Kind of an odd topic isn't it? I was watching a video clip earlier and it had such truth to it. A classroom of students were ask to write what they saw on a paper they were given. On this paper in the center was One black dot. All the students focused their responses to that one black dot. Well, after watching this clip I thought how can you and I apply this to our lives?

What is the dot in your life? As you know because of this particular blog my dot is breast cancer. Now I can let this consume my every thought, action, emotion etc. An I will admit sometimes it consumes my day. Do I want it to? No, but there are times it does. So, how do I change this "dot" in my life to where it's not the center of everything?

One is giving it to the Lord. As I have probably said in every entry on my blog, God wasn't surprised, he knew what I would learn on May 9th when I went to the doctors. God knows what I have and will face from here on out. Now, even with knowing this I do have days such as this past Wednesday where it just seemed to consume my every thought. With prayer, and support from my husband and God I got through it. Then yesterday I was able to focus on the bigger picture of my life, learning and gaining knowledge about music, piano to be specific. To my surprise it's really starting to come together :) I'm starting to learn things that I wish I had learned years ago about playing the piano. I believe though, God knew this time of my life I would need a good, learning, focal point and Piano is it!

I know so many with cancer, but if you are saved, living for the Lord and doing what he wants in Romans 8:28 and 31 we're told all things work together for good! I still sometimes question what's next, but also as the scripture says, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" 

I'm not perfect nor do I claim to be, I just want to share what God's given me and let people saved and unsaved alike know that there is a God! He is the Great I AM! He is the Great Physician! He is All Knowing! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is MY SAVIOUR and he wants to take your "dot" your all consuming trouble and bear it for you. If you are family reading this, a friend or someone I've never met God Loves You! 

So yes, I focus on my cancer in this blog BUT I don't let it consume my every thought, my every day of life. It's there I know it is, and some days I'm in pain, in tears, even overwhelmed BUT God has me in his hands, and he will carry me through. 

So on Sunday - I focus on the Lord, church, friends and family

On Monday - If not chemo day *smile such as this coming Monday the 7th of August. I focus on my home, my husband my children.

Tuesday and Wed I repeat part of Monday by focusing on my home, my husband and my children

Thursday - I get to add to that Piano with Mrs. Marion and soul winning telling other of Christ. (let me insert here soul winning isn't just one day a week it's all the time) 

Friday - is kind of my day and I choose different things to do and focus on. 

Saturday - many times I will rest and make sure health wise I'm able to be in church on Sunday and start all over on my focusing. 

Now my weeks DO NOT always work out this way and there are some days that the "dot" takes over. But as my dear pastors wife has told me, "don't allow yourself to stay there". Meaning if it's a rough day or bad day don't stay there work on getting back to the positive, to what is good for you. 

So, What is your "dot"? 

Don't let it make your day un-amazing (is that a word *hee hee) but rather AMAZING! 

Go out my friend and Make Today Amazing no matter what "dot" you have in your life.