What can Cancer NOT Do?

It's limited to only the body but if you're not saved it could do what this poem says it can't.  As I've now been to Dana Farber Cancer Center,  Harold Alfond Center for Cancer plus all the doctors. As I've seen and talked to so many people with an without cancer. I'm amazed, yet saddened at how people don't rely God. They don't have a church nor want one they can go to for support. My husband and I have talked to many people about salvation we've seen some saved, some flat out refuse to even listen, somelisten them say nope it's not for me. While others say they only depend on science an the doctors. May 9, 17, I was told I had something wrong, the doctor said, I needed a series of test done. On May 12, it was confirmed I have cancer possibly stage four. What do I do? That's where my Heavenly Father became even more real to me.

Below are verses that one could add to this poem to not allow cancer to take over in your joy, strength, love etc.

I John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not Good, for God is love."

Psalms 31:24 "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD."

Galatians 5:22 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Philippines 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Psalms 27:14 "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the LORD."

However before you can fully have these things you must need, to know the Lord as your Saviour.
All you need to do is realize you are a sinner. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." No one is perfect.
"For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." We dont have to pay for our sins! The Lord has already made that payment, we just simply need to accept his free gift of eternal life. That free gift is plus nothing an minus nothing. Just simply take it!
"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Simply believe in Him.
Friend I have been through a lot! I'm not perfect and apparently I'm a lot stronger than I personally feel I am. But, God, my husband,  my Pastor & his wife, my church family, my family and friends have been there for me. This journey couldn't have been the way it has without all these people and most importantly the Lord.

January 8, 18 I came the closest I've ever been to meeting Jesus. It wouldn't have be bad at all, but I'm so grateful I'm still here. God's not finished using me yet.

He's still working on me, to make me what I aughta be. It took him just a week to make the moon an stars, the sun an the earth an Jupiter and Mars but he's still working on me!

Would you, if you had gone through all the chemo, all the shots, biopsies, surgery, all most dieing, radiation and lots to still do, be saying, Cancer can't _____________ and whatever you won't let it control?

You can put other things there as well not just cancer. Let your sickness, your trial, your cross, be a platform for sharing Christ and helping others.

Don't whine and cry about your cross pick it up say, "Lord, I may not understand but I'll carry the cross you gave me." Because you know my future an what your plans are for me. I'm the clay and your the master. I'm the vessel you've chosen to use, use me! 

Blessed Beyond Measure 

Make Today Amazing 

I Shall Come Forth as Gold

When I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.

What trial in your life is going to purify you and bring forth gold? Yesterday March 12th I was nervous as I lay on the table for radiation even though it was my 13th treatment, I couldn't focus then this phrase "I shall come forth as gold" came to mind. The Holy Spirit gave that to me as I lay there for my treatment.

Throughout the day and evening I've thought about it. When I am tried (cancer) and purified (chemo, surgery, more chemo, radiation, nine more months of infusions) I shall come forth as gold (healed if the Lord sees fit,maybe more refining to be a better witness for Him)

Every day brings something new or different. I believe that is the Lord refining what is to come.

Job 23:10 "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

The Lord knows the way you'll  take, because he's  leading you. (Cancer, death of a lived one, a sick child etc)
He knows the trial you'll  face, because he's already in your tomorrow.  (Where to go, what medicines to take, what doctor to see)
He knows the pain, the heartache, the tears, the joy, the happiness.
So we just need to surrender to his will and you'll come forth as gold.

So friend just allow God to work in an through you in the valley an on the Mountain top. He holds your hand through the good and the bad. God's is always there to comfort an cheer.

What's your purifying to gold going to be like?

In my last post I had mentioned I have a verse a day for radiation. Yesterday's verse was:
Isaiah 51:11 "Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."

This verse can be applied to, coming forth as gold. In that we can obtain gladness, joy, and have our sorrow and mourning pass away. What trial do you have sorrow in? Mourning the fact of ___________ (you fill in the blank).
God makes a way for us it's up to the individual if you're going to allow God to purify you through the trial and come forth as gold with gladness an joy. Or are you going to fight against it and not grow or learn from the trial.

I personally want to learn. I want to be a testimony for Christ, an use my trial for Him to see others saved. To help others come through their trial.

So, what will you do?


Blessed Beyond Measure
Make Today Amazing

What will you do during your trial?

Good Evening, Oh my I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted anything here. It's been almost a month since I posted last so I'll try to catch you up on everything. 

Chemo is officially over as off, March 7th. Then I as supposed to have 3 weeks with none or only a few appointments that didn't happen. Hahaha  So my year long treatments are still going, once every three weeks. Those are a breeze pretty much :)  I had to start PT for my left arm as, I have had lymphedema start. I was praying I wouldn't have to worry about it but since I do I'll just go on and not worry to much.

I'm now in full swing of having radiation take place. I've completed eight treatments thus far with 16 to go.  For those who may not know I have treatments five a days week and I have 3-1/2 weeks to go. 

Since starting radiation I decided to have a verse a day. By having a verse a day has helped encourage me and get me through each treatment. It also helps me focus on God and his goodness rather than what is going on. 

A few of the verses I've used as "My verse for the day" are:

~Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." 

~Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." 

~Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

~Hebrews 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

~Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."

~Psalms 31:24 "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD"

~Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me. and I shall be saved: for thou are my praise."

~Psalms 27:14 "Wait on the LORD be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."  

Each verse the Lord gave me and he had something for me that day I could carry with me. It is also a scripture verse a day my nurses hear. While laying there on that cold, hard table having radiation done. I'm quoting these verses out loud. There's not a lot of time that I can actually talk to these ladies but I'm only in there about 10 to 15 minutes max and as soon as I get up they are preparing for the next patient. Praise the Lord though I've been able to give them all tracts and invite them to church. One was an intern so she's already gone back to Boston to finish her schooling.

No matter what you are dealing with, there are ways to be a testimony to others. Whether through song, such as Jesus Loves Me, which I sing or hum almost daily while in radiation along with quoting a verse of scripture.

Back when I first started this blog, I had no idea where God would take it or how it would end up. I have no idea who's life it may (or will) have touched or who it may have (or will) helped. All I know is that I was encouraged to use my Journey of cancer as a platform. To use this to be a light to others. To be an encouragement and example of Christ while traveling a road I had never planned to take. 

When we have a bump in life or a road we didn't plan to take it doesn't mean God is punishing us. It is simply a tool we can use for others. It's a tool that depending on how we choose to use it, depends on what God can do through us and with us.

I'm not a great Christian, I do however try to do my best, sometimes I may flounder, while other times I make it through but with Christ in my life and living a Christ like life to the best of my ability, God will use me or you if we only allow him to. 

So my friend, as you go through life just focus on how you can be a light for Him. 

Blessed Beyond Measure

Make Today Amazing

Update on my appointments:

Monday 4/9 through Friday 4/13 of this next week I have radiation at 10:15 every morning.

Monday 4/16 through Friday 4/20 radiation at 10:15 every morning. 

Don't Become Discouraged

You've heard bad news.
You've had test after test.
You've been through the fire.
You've wondered, is it worth it.
You've had good days but double the bad.
You've missed more church, more soul winning times, more of what you enjoy, than ever before.

Friend, let me tell you, God is in control!
He knows your fears.
He see your tears.
He hears your prayers.
He knows your tomorrows.
He knows your pain and suffering .
He knows your heart!

So why do we get discouraged ?
Why do we stop _____________ you put in what you've quit. The trials, the heart aches, the illness, the testing, everything is for a reason! It's not and it shouldn't ever discourage us. Now, we are human, our flesh gets the best of us at times BUT.....

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee get an mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Psalms 91:15 "He shall call up in me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path.

Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Friends, family, stranger, God is never taken by surprise when things come into our lives. If you don't dwell on the past, simply look to the present see what God has for you today. I know and believe that you'll be better for it.
Yes, we have things we're going through. As you know if you've read this blog much or know me, I'm dealing with cancer. A few days ago it hit me that it was around this time last year, I knew something maybe going on. There were signs of things, pain but we were headed to see our daughter, her family, our son and my parents. So wise or not I ignored it and went and enjoyed my family, bearing a burden that only God an I knew about.

God was and still is in control. The thing is I can't say what if I.... it's done and well, it's in the past. So, I'm going forward. I'm not going to let Satan discourage me, pull me down or destroy me.

The choice is yours! Are you going to let past circumstances, situations, illnesses etc ruin today and your future?

Pick-up where you are, run to your Heavenly Father,  lean on Him, trust in Him, call upon him!

So what am I going to do?
Make Today Amazing by Not getting Discouraged! 

Run with Patience

Let me start with I don't always do well being patient. In this life we're to run the race with patience. Hebrews 12:1 "...and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

What race have you been given to run? What ever it is remember that God gives us things to go through for a reason. When things go differently than you planned remember we need to be patient because as Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for good...."

In June when my first round of treatments started this "race" wasn't in my plans and well, running it with patience wasn't always the easiest. As of today at 11 am I finished the race of chemo. The Lord gave the strength and patience needed to get through all the chemo and a surgery.

My next "race" is five days a weed for five weeks of radiation. I'm Not looking forward to this part of my race. However, God is there already and he knows what I need to get through this race.

If your not saved you my not understand what I'm meaning by run the race with patience. See as Christians we are daily running a race. The  Christian race of staying pure, of doing right, of staying in our Bible and praying. The race of not looking back going forward in our lives. The way we do this is by trusting in the Lord, depending on Him to guide and lead us. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path."
Trust in him to forgive you of your sins, and cleanse your heart. Trust in the Lord to take you to heaven.
"Call unto me and I will answer thee...." Jesus is waiting for you to open your heart to him. Won't you accept Christ today as your Saviour. Then you to can join in and run the race.

Make Today Amazing by running the race with patience.

So Much to be Thankful For!

Psalms 107:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endured forever."
Psalms 142:1-2 "I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.     I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.

Oh give thanks. We all have so much to give thanks for, From waking up each morning, having food, clothes, a place to live, our health. So why complain?

If your going to complain, take it to the Lord in prayer. Over the last several months people have said to me, "I never hear you complain about your situation." There's a reason for that. Ps 142 I complain to him sometimes to my husband but who does it help, no one.
Therefore, though people know I'm having a bad day, or sick, or struggling rather than telling them all my woes, I try to be positive giving thanks. Giving God the Glory for all that's happened in my life.

Now, I'm human as we all are and I do sometimes complain to another. Usually when that happens I've not read my Bible or prayed about that day. So, I do my best to read my Bible an pray daily so I can grow closer to Him rather than maybe pull another down because of my negativity.

The title to this blog post is"So Much to be Thankful For." I want to share some of those things.
1. I only need two more chemo treatments rather than six!
2. I learned today I only have five weeks of radiation rather than six.
3. One of my son's recently had a battery of test, praise the Lord one of the things they tested for was cancer and they found NONE!
4. Although I have 10 months still to go of treatments, appointments, and such God has been Good to our family every step of the way.
5. My church family, several have gone above an beyond the call of duty in many areas. Providing food, visiting, texting, calling, so on an so forth. This also applies for friends who aren't in our church.

I could go on an on with what God has done through my family, friends, doctors etc. My point though is You have so much to be Thankful for that really WE/YOU have no room to complain. If you must complain do as Ps 142:1-2 says and you'll be better for it.

So as I like to say and believe more than ever
I'm Blessed Beyond Measure
and  Make Today Amazing!

Control.... Who's in control for your life?

Control - verb, to exercise restraining or directing influence over;

to have power over; to reduce the incidence or severity of..... 

Love - noun, an intense feeling of deep affection; 

a person or thing that one loves. 

I realize we know the meanings of these two words, control and love. In my topic I asked the question, "How much do you have?" How much control? See in life general we have control of our life. We control a lot of things. What happens though when things spiral out of your control? 

I'm at a point in my chemo that I have no control over a few things and it's hard! I'm use to having some or all control. I help control our finances. I help control our children. I control my kitchen LOL. I control my prayer life and Bible reading. Now there are things I don't control, such as my husband he's the head of our home and God is in control of him. I don't know when or where the mail runs, I can't control delivery time. These are things that we all know. The picture I started this post with is one I'm really having to cling to right now!!! 

Right now I'm not able to control, right now and I'm having to let the one, Jesus, be in control even though I don't won't what's happening to happen. The Bible states in, I Corinthians 11:15, "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given her for a covering."

God gave our hair to us for a covering and so it's not in vain that I don't want to loose my hair but because God gave it to me for a purpose. 

As I mentioned in my last post I'm having Abraxane Chemo and I was told I would loss my hair possibly. Friday, 2/2/18, I started losing more than usual. I broke down in tears at the thought of this happening. Now I've not lost enough for it to be noticed but I have lost enough I notice the difference in the thickness of my hair. 

My nurse Brynn, today, told me she understood that our hair is our covering. She as well as my Pastors wife made a few suggestions for me. I will and have started working towards a few goals. Even have an appointment already with my hair dresser. Which may I say, she's an amazing lady, her care, passion, and concern for people is AMAZING!!! 

I don't have control over this situation but I can control other areas of my life just as you can. You may seem your spiraling out of control and that you have no control. Don't worry as Christians our Lord has full control. Yes, I have had to remind myself by the minute, the hour, the day, every time I look in a mirror, or run my fingers through my hair. God is in control!!! He knows that even though I can't control this time of my life, I'm not being rebellious, I'm not being some crazy person (well ha ha ha ha) just chopping my hair off. I'm thinking through things and praying about it. 

See Joshua 1:9, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." 

My courage, strength, control isn't very strong at the moment but as long as I lean and depend on the Lord to have control of my life, let him give courage to go through this and the strength that is needed to get through I can survive no matter what. I mean after all, with the Lord I got through all the clinical trials in Boston. With Christ I got through my surgery. I got through the devastating day, January 8th, and though I was the closest to dying I've ever been, God was in control and he carried me through. I had no control but God did! 

So friend I'm working on this and doing my best not to worry about what I can't control but focusing on what I can. At the same time I'm human and worry about that which I can't control but I have and I am taking steps towards that which I can help in this next phase of my life. 

Friend another thing that you can control is your decision to trust Christ. See, we all have a choice to chose Heaven or Hell. When we chose Heaven we are then turning the control of our life over to the Lord. If we deny him we are saying I can control my own life and I don't need you Lord. Which choice are you going to make?

In May of 1988 I got full assurance of my salvation and gave the Lord full control of my life. Letting the Lord control my life is much better than me controlling it. He knows what is best for me life way better than I do. I do control things but they are things we each should control, our attitude, our mouths not speaking foul language, our eyes, not looking at that which isn't appropriate. Our feet, not going where we shouldn't go. John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." 

See you are loved so much by our Lord that he gave his ONLY son!! He wasn't looking to condemn us but to save us! What an amazing thought. The Lord of the Heavens and earth loved me, YOU, so much that he Gave, not loaned, but GAVE his ONLY son so we could have eternal life. 

Friend are you going to control your life? Or are you going to give your life to God for him to control? It breaks my heart when one says No to Christ. I'm not the greatest or the best Christian, I just do what I can through Christ to serve him and be his servant doing what he would have me to do. Since that was giving my life to him to control, that is what I did, in May of 1988 I gave the Lord my heart, my soul, my life. Why don't you today, give the Lord control of your life by accepting him as your personal saviour. 

Do you have something in your life that you can't control? Give it to the Lord! Easy? no It seems for me every time I look in the mirror, brush my hair, run my fingers through my hair I'm loosing more and more control of this Journey known as cancer. BUT, at the end of my day, I can through tears know God has control. 

So, friend Make Today Amazing by giving the Lord Control!