Check out this picture!

This is one of my favorite pictures that I took this fall.  I love fall and I thought the background was unique.

One of the blogs I visit, Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground, had a chance to have your photo edited.  I entered and she did it for me!  Thanks so much Lynette!  You can click here to check out her blog.  She is an amazing women with an even more amazing story!

So here is one of the edits.  It is cropped and brightened.

This my favorite one though.  It is antiqued!

This so makes me want to go out and figure out how to edit photos!   Another time though…I am really supposed to be reading two chapters and discussing them on blackboard for my class!  Oh, how I love college =)

 

In the Middle of Something

So I heard this sermon the other day that really hit hard.  I’m sure most of you know the story about Moses and him leading his people out of Egypt.  They made it to the bank of the Jordan River and sent spies ahead to check out the promise land.  The spies came back with stories of “giants”, but the land flowed with milk and honey.  They were scared and turned back. Not to mention this river that they needed to figure out how to cross. They ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.  Sounds like fun, huh?

Then after 40 years Joshua is going to lead them to the promise land.  He knows that he has the river to cross with all these people.   The river was in his way.  River=problem.  So what does he do?  He sends the presence of the Lord before him and the people.  He sends the Ark of the Covenant before them and lets them know that the waters will part once it enters the river.  How many of us can say that when we are faced with a problem, we send out the Lord’s presence?  What about praying for a problem instead of trying to “fix” it ourselves.  I am so guilty of trying to fix my own problems.  However, God wants us to trust in Him and let him fix them for us.  It might not be quick.  It might not be easy.  But if we trust in Him and give them to Him, he will take care of them.

So this “problem” of a river is before them.  Joshua and the people praised God for what he was about to do.  They had faith that the Lord would solve this problem for them.  Did they moan and complain?  Nope.  Did they sob and ask why?  Nope.  They praised and worshipped for what they knew would happen.  The priests carrying the Ark dipped their feet into the water and it parted.  There they stood on dry land.

Problem solved.  Right?  The people walked across dry land and the priests stayed in the dry part of the river with the ark.  When all had passed, they could have stepped up and out.  The problem was over.  How many of us pray for a problem and are happy when it is solved.  Then we tend to forget about it.  We may whisper a quiet, “Thank you Jesus” and then go on like it never it happened.  Not Joshua.

He then placed twelve stones in the center of the Jordan river as an alter.  He continued to worship and praise God in the midst of this “problem”.  He also ordered that twelve men carry shoulder size boulders out of the river to take to town and build a memorial.  He wanted everyone to see the smooth river rocks as proof of what the Lord had done to get them there. 

This is the part that I like best.  When the priests stepped out of the dry river bed with the Ark, the river returned to normal.  This “problem” was no longer there, it was then a miracle.  How many problems in your life have turned into miracles?  How many times have we looked at what could have been a disaster but turned into something so good?  Do you praise God before, during, and after all of these times?  That is the hard part.  It’s hard to praise Him when things are tough.  It’s hard to praise Him when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.  But He deserves it!  He can turn your problems into miracles.  The people of Israel stood and looked forward at the Jordan and saw a problem but looked behind them at the Jordan and saw a miracle.  It all depends on which direction you are looking.

I know that through the past 11 months we have had plenty of problems.  Ones that seemed like they would never end.  Ones that we are still in the process of getting through.  Ones that are no longer problems, but miracles.  I have tried so hard to praise Him throughout.  When I heard this story about Joshua, I couldn’t help but relate our own situation.  When we found out about Ricky’s tumor, we were crushed.  However, we used the power of prayer and sent the Lord ahead of our situation.  He helped us find the right surgeon and then the right neuro oncologist.  Even though we were faced with speech problems, radiation, chemotherapy, mood swings, sleepless nights (I could keep on going), we tried to find even small things to be thankful about. 

Were we disappointed when Ricky came out of surgery and couldn’t speak?  Absolutely.  However, we praised God that he had all of his motor skills.  Were we disappointed when the doctor said he could remove 100% of the tumor, but only got 90%?  Yup.  But we praised Him that it was operable because so many are not.  Were we disappointed when the tumor was a very rare Grade III Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma when they thought it was a Grade II benign tumor.  YES!  But we praised Him that it was not a Grade IV Glioblastoma that would have been even worse.  I could keep going on and on, but I think you get the point =)  Praise Him in every situation. 

So, this cancer diagnosis is the river in our lives.  We are 100% positive that God is working a miracle in our lives. We try hard to praise Him even during this difficult time.  God is the same now that He was before the cancer diagnosis.  He deserves the same praise that he did 11 months ago.

 Remember that on the other side of every problem is a miracle.

Uphill, Downhill, and Flat Road

Soooo….I signed up to do the Frog Jog 5K for our YMCA.  I have been spinning, but not running.  When I signed up, I thought surely my endurance is  good enough to run this race.  Then last night, I started to doubt myself.  I even tried to talk myself out of it.  However, this morning the kids and Ricky were up and ready to cheer me on!  The kids even had a fun run after the race.  So, I went.

When I got there I was stretching and thinking harder about my goals for this race.  My first goal was to run the entire time.  When I say run, I mean more like jog as slow as I can without it counting as walking.  My second goal was to do it under 36 minutes.  I am happy to say that my first goal was accomplished!  I ran the whole time!!!  I was so proud of myself because there were definitely times I felt like walking, but I didn’t!  My second goal I came very close, but finished in 36 minutes and 54 seconds.  Close!!!  We won’t mention the mall walker that finished before me with a gimpy leg.  Hey, I said we wouldn’t mention her!!!

As I was running today, my mind wandered.  I prayed a lot throughout my run as I was listening to Ricky’s Ipod.  He has a little shuffle that I steal borrow from time to time.  My run today reminded me a lot of our journey in life.  I thought about the hills that felt like they would never end.  My legs burned and my breathing was labored.  Then the wind would kick up and try and push me back down the hill.  I just closed my eyes and pushed harder.  Then when I got to the top of each one, it was a victory!  I made it even though I thought I couldn’t do it. 

Then there were the downhill runs!  Oh, how I love to run downhill.  The Lord blesses us with the prize of getting to the easy part after the hard part is finished.  The wind was picking up from behind and giving me a little boost. 

Then there were stretches that were flat road that I felt like I could go on forever!  My speed picked up and the wind was nonexistent.  I could feel the sun shining on my face and all was good.

So, how does this relate to my life!  Well, this week was an uphill battle for me.  I could feel everything and anything trying to push me back down.  I struggled with making it through.  My mind was losing the battle just as my body was losing today.  But, no matter how much it hurt, I went on.  I pushed through.  I made it!  I’m just praying that this week the Lord will bless me with a downhill run because I so deserve it after this week =)  Just kidding!!!

The point is that life is full of hills!  You are going to have times when the hill seems neverending.  You can’t even see the top and you wonder what’s the point?  Why keep going?  It would be easier just to walk or stop altogether.  But friends, on the other side of every uphill battle is the downhill run!  It’s a blessing from the Lord for making it through each and every trial.  It may be a little blessing, but look for it!  My blessing today was seeing all three of those smiling faces as I rounded the corner for the finish line!  Cheering me on and letting me know how much they love and care for me! (We won’t mention the mall walker directly in front of me with the gimpy leg.  That might ruin the story!!)

There are also times in life when you are on flat road.  Everything is going great and all is right in your world!  It seems so easy to just keep going.  Enjoy those times!  Take in every moment.  You never know when a hill might come along.  I sure didn’t see the one we were about to run last August.  But those hills make you stronger.  It’s taken me awhile to figure that out, but they do!

The best part about this journey of uphill battles, downhill runs, and flat roads is that you are never alone.  Even when the battle seems never ending, He is always there.  Even when everything seems so difficult, He is holding your hand.  Sometimes that’s the hardest thing to remember.  God will test our faith but it’s only to make us stronger!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything

James 1:2-4

Just as surely as He is with us when we are facing trials, He is also with us when we are running downhill.  He loves to bless us!  He loves to reward us for a job well done.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings today!  It’s amazing what the Lord can put in your head when you have 36 minutes and 54 seconds with no one but Him!

Blessings for a beautiful weekend!

PS  Round 5 of chemo is officially done!!!!  7 more to go!!!

Pictures and More Pictures

Okay, I realize that I haven’t posted pictures in awhile.  So, this post will be mostly pictures.  I have some from Easter, Lily’s first soccer game, and Lily’s gymnastics banquet.  Enjoy!

Pictures From Our Trip

Hey everyone!  Quick update before I post pictures.  We found out that Ricky will start his first round of chemo on December 29.  He is taking an oral pill called Temodar and he will take 4 pills nightly before bed.  He is on a cycle of 5 days on and 23 days off.  He will also be taking Zofran every 6 hours to help with the nausea.  They said to expect some fatigue and nausea, but at least the zofran will help with that.  I will definitely keep yall updated when he starts.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to take a quick  minute and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!  I am about to go headfirst into the kitchen and not leave until we eat at 2:00.  We are having both families over and Riley has already asked me 100 times when the party starts.  Don’t let him fool you, he just wants cake and ice cream =) 

On My Heart

I love it when God puts a bible verse on my heart!  This morning I was laying in bed just thinking.  I have had a hard time finding an oncologist in this area who is willing to work with Dr. Yung.  So, at 6:30 AM, I was thinking about my next step to find one.  The verse Philippians 4:6 popped in my head.  Not once, but over and over again.  I couldn’t wait.  I had to get out of bed to see what the verse said.  Here it is…

Let Me Out of Here!

So Sarah the kitty is getting very big.  She also really wants to be an outdoor cat.  However, that is not an option.  This is where I have found her a couple of times.  It cracks me up every time.  Some days, I feel the exact same way.  Just let me out of here =)

A Glimpse Into My Kitchen

I just have to show yall what my countertop looks like when I get home from the grocery store.  Ricky went with me today to gain an understanding of how much time and effort goes into the cooking and juicing I’m doing.  He was amazed at how much planning it takes!

Faith

Such a small word with such deep meaning.  I was contemplating  the word faith this morning and what it means to me.   I love Hebrews 11:1.  I have this verse hanging in my kitchen.  I see it every day and it makes me smile. 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1