Just Share It: Anne Graham Lotz

  

                                                         Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


Thou earnest not to thy place by accident,
  It is the very place God meant for thee;
  And shouldst thou there small scope for action see,
  Do not for this give room to discontent.
R. C. TRENCH

Anne's breast cancer ordeal has become National, because of who she is and what she does. Today, I'm posting another edition of hers concerning her journey. Fellow cancer survivors and warriors feel that the campaign for Cancer Awareness is no longer needed, but instead all should be focused on the cure. Absolutely! The reason why I post other's cancer journey is for one sole purpose.....encouragement. 

PEOPLE may be very aware of cancer, but few ever think it will touch their lives on a personal level. When it happens, people really need emotional support and that is why these testimonials are so vital to keep sharing. Enjoy. Lottie.

MY CANCER: FUEL FOR THE FIRE

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith…of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire…may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  1 Peter 1:6-7 What fuel has the Refiner added to the fire as He works to reveal Jesus in and through you? He has recently stoked the fire under me! I’m encouraged when I remember that when a refiner purifies gold, he melts it in a pot over the fire. He keeps turning up the heat until the dross, or impurities, rise to the surface. He then bends over the gold to skim off the dross, and continues doing so, until he can see his face reflected in the surface of the gold. Gold being refined in the fire is a meaningful visual of the way God refines and purifies you and me.[1] He knows exactly how hot the fire needs to be in order to bring the impurities in our hearts, minds, and lives to the surface of our attention, enabling Him to skim them off, until He can see His own image reflected in us. The Refiner has just added fuel to the fire in my life. On the afternoon of August 17, 2015, between 3:00 and 3:30, as you may know, I discovered my husband, Danny, unresponsive in our pool. Two days later he was Home! Three years to the day, on the afternoon of August 17, 2018, at the very same time of day…3:00 to 3:30…I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When I realized the strange “coincidence” of the timing, I came to the chilling conclusion that it was an assignment from the enemy.  But just as that thought was forming, I heard the soft, gentle whisper of the Spirit, reminding me that it was on a Friday, during that very same time…between 3:00 and 3:30 in the afternoon…that God’s Passover Lamb was sacrificed. Jesus died on the very same day of the week, at the very same time of the day, crushing the head of the serpent, forever defeating the devil and death.[2] Praise God! The cross…the blood of God’s Lamb…trumps anything the devil can throw at us or assign to us! So I am left to worship and totally trust our God who is ultimately in control. Of everything. Each day since the diagnosis God has given me promises and encouragement from His Word. God has been…and is…my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in this trouble. Therefore, I will not fear…[3]  BUT He also has made it very clear that my healing will be in answer to not just my prayer, but the prayers of others for me. So please! Would you pray for me? Pray for God to heal me in whichever way He deems would bring Him the most glory. Healing without surgery, with surgery, with surgery and follow-up treatment, or through the greater miracle of the resurrection. Amy Carmichael’s eloquent and moving prayer below has given me words to express my heart’s desire… From prayer that asks that I may beSheltered from winds that beat on Thee,From fearing when I should aspire,From faltering when I should climb higher,From silken self, O Captain, freeThy soldier who would follow Thee. From subtle love of softening things,From easy choices, weakenings;Not thus are spirits fortified,Not this way went the Crucified,From all that dims Thy Calvary,O Lamb of God, deliver me. Give me the love that leads the way,The faith that nothing can dismay,The hope no disappointments tire,The passion that will burn like fire,Let me not sink to be a clod:Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God –Amy Carmichael Please pray for me…and my family… as we follow the Good Shepherd through this Valley of the Shadow. The bottom-line of our prayer is that our faith would be purified, God would be glorified, and Jesus would be magnified through every step we take on this new journey, until the Refiner sees His own reflection mirrored in my life. Sincerely, Have a blessed day everyone.

The Awaiting

                                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.




I rest beneath the Almighty's shade,
    My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
  Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
    Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.
C. WESLEY.

Sometimes a storm stops you so it can save you. 
Dr. Robert Jeffress

I keep reminding myself of that phrase above. How many times have we been afraid to move forward, because we don't know the future? For me, that's always, because I am afraid of taking bold steps. I guess when one stands still, it's a learning experience?

I am quickly learning that to be true. After spending more than half a year waiting for things to proceed forward to no avail, I can only deduce there is some unfinished business here that needs to be handled. We can't move forward until we address it.

I've read somewhere that we are like an onion and each trial peels away a layer. So here I am, peeling away slowly, but surely. You know, onions make us cry. 

Having a good cry isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes, it helps relieve some of the stress we carry around and refuse to release. We like to hold onto our pain, don't we? We want to spend some time wallowing in it, because it is familiar. Letting go places us unto an unknown path. It can be overgrown and laden with thickets of brush. We cannot see past that brush. What is beyond that? We're too scared to find out. It's much safer to stay in this rut.

I don't know where all of you may be in your journey, I only know mine. I've been in that rut far too long and I'm ready to see what is in that thicket. How about you?


Have a blessed day everyone. 

That Missing Link

                                                Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.




Life is a sheet of paper white
Whereon each one of us may write
His word or two,
 and then comes night.
Greatly begin!
 though thou hast time
But for a line, be that sublime.
Not failure, but low aim is crime.

--James Russell Lowell.

So I'm going to be honest here. I'm really missing my old Church. Being in a mega Church is only good for getting lost in. I miss that community feeling of everyone knowing each other that only a small Church brings. I feel as if I've become a Church hopper without even meaning to. I long for my place where I can live in for good until my death. The same goes for my Church. 

For quite awhile, I have been in turmoil over this mega Church. Do I stay or do I go? I've continually prayed over this dilemma. So for now, I intend on staying where I am at until that final place appears in my life. I have joined a Bible study, gone to the monthly Women's Breakfast and any other event that fits in with my schedule, but that connection hasn't really happened. We hug when we see one another, but no one invites you over or wants to take it further. It's more like hi and bye. 

To make things worse, this mega Church has been engulfed in a huge scandal with the founder and main Senior Pastor. I'm sure you have read the papers and seen the news reports on that matter. I struggled even further as more and more events came to light. How do I stay in a Church with such a need for forgiveness and chaos? 

After much prayer and soul searching, I decided to stay. I cannot leave a Church for the wrong reason. If I do leave, it should be because of a lack of doctrine or biblical foundation, not because the Pastor lost his way. The Church still needs a bit of work, but I have to give it a chance, I can't be hopping around all the time. Sometimes, God has to shake things up so the Church will become what He meant it to be.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Vlog About Nothing

                                                                     Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                     everyday is a journey.



O God, what offering shall I give
    To Thee, the Lord of earth and skies?
  My spirit, soul, and flesh receive,
    A holy, living sacrifice.
J. LANGE.



So I'm beginning something new. I know that I have been extremely reflective and maybe a bit depressing in my posts, but we have been experiencing many sudden and not welcomed changes in our lives. We are disappointed in many ways, but we will overcome. We just need to process what is going on around us and that will take some time. 

To relief some of the stress, I thought we could make videos to sort of lighten the mood. Now, Emily is great at making videos, but I am technically challenged, so please bear with me as I learn. I have started a YouTube Channel with the same name as this blog. So this YouTube channel is strictly for us and for all of you. Believe me, no one else would care for any of these videos that we have posted except the people that know us. 

If you are interested in viewing the YouTube channel, you can always copy and paste the link below. For some reason, it doesn't want to work properly for me so one could go directly just by clicking it. Remember, I am technically challenged. Or you can just visit the channel by watching the video above. It is called the same as this blog. You can also like the videos, subscribe or comment. Just be please considerate that I am an amateur. 

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbC-g3Cv-m88_0vQZACRplg?view_as=subscriber 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
 Sorry about the volume. I need to speak louder. 

Allison Take Two

                                                                       Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                        everyday is a journey.



Maker of earth and sea and sky,
    Creation's sovereign Lord and King,
  Who hung the starry worlds on high,
    And formed alike the sparrow's wing;
  Bless the dumb creatures of Thy care,
  And listen to their voiceless prayer.
ANON.

When I wrote about Allison the other day, it evoked a huge response from all of you. Several of you have left me messages in regards to helping her and wondering if she was being cared for by anyone. Although, it has taken me almost two years to get through to her, she has accepted my blanket for her and the goodie bag for her nausea. 

Many of you were concerned that perhaps she needed a good meal, so I decided to bring over to her a large container of chicken noodle soup, some cornbread and oyster crackers. I was excited, because I saw the other two times as a positive take on her acceptance of being served. 

Well, I rang her bell. I knocked on her door. The front door and the back door. No answer. I thought, okay she is resting. I will come back later. Again, no answer. I tried once more towards the evening. No answer. Defeated, I sat back down in the living room with Emily. I felt like she was avoiding me. A few minutes later, I hear her leaving her apartment. Looked out and saw her car was gone. 

I cannot explain to you how terrible I felt at that moment.  In all of my eleven years, I have never come across another fellow cancer patient who did everything in their power to avoid other people. It's never happened. Quite the opposite. Hurting people gravitate towards others for comfort. 

I have heard of people who retreated into their homes away from others or who were angry at God or the world. I just never met them. So I am a little discouraged by her behavior, but that will not deter me from praying for her nor being there when she needs me. 

I know that all of you would be very interested in her so I though I would do an update. Please continue to pray for her as I will. 

Have  a blessed day everyone. 

Soul Searching Questions

                                                      Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Where now with pain thou treadest, trod
  The whitest of the saints of God!
  To show thee where their feet were set,
  The light which led them shineth yet.
J. G. WHITTIER.

1. Are you focused on the wrong thing?
This is a very difficult question to answer. We all think we are doing the right thing or going the right way until things go haywire. When we end up being stuck in the mud and cannot move forward, suddenly, we wonder if we are even on the right path. So am I focused on the wrong thing? I definitely am open to finding out. Right now, I plan on a small excursion in November to help me clear out all the cobwebs and hopefully show clarity in that direction.

2. What are you doing here? 
I've always thought I was right where I needed to be, but this question has me wondering if there is a purpose that I may be avoiding? This Season in my life now has me questioning everything I have done. Or lack of.

3. Are you found in the wrong place?
I am often asked how or why I started a Crocheting Ministry or this blog, but I always found that it had nothing to do with me. I didn't start anything, God did, especially the Ministry. Do I need to start something new? I do believe I might have veered off course a little bit, because of some issues from my past.

4. Are you filled with the wrong song?
A resounding yes! This I am wholeheartedly. I know I am full of bitterness and anger here. I am disappointed in what is happening. This certainly wasn't the way I imagined it to be. My expectations were cut short by reality. Life throws curves at us once in a while and adapting to them has become quite a challenge for me as I grow older.

5. What are you doing?
Right now, I'm being still. I feel unable to either move forward to move back in reverse. I'm stuck and my mind is muddled, filled with confusion. There are certain things I am planning on doing to perhaps clear the cobwebs, but more on that in the coming weeks. 

How would you answers these questions?
Have a blessed day everyone. 

Allison

  

                                                        Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



We would not meagre gifts down-call
  When Thou dost yearn to yield us all;
  But for this life, this little hour,
  Ask all Thy love and care and power.
J. INGELOW.

My next door neighbor, Allison, has cancer. She hasn't said anything to me, but I know the signs. The shaven head, the clear plastic across her chest signifying a port, her sudden staying at home. The list is endless and her entire routine has changed. I even know when she is having treatment, because she locks herself in her apartment and doesn't come out for several days. 

It has taken me the entire year and a half for Allison to respond to me. She is extremely withdrawn, quiet and aloof. That doesn't stop me from acknowledging her presence. Hello Allison. Have a good day Allison. It's cold today, Allison. I respect her reserved character and don't push myself onto her. That is one of our biggest problem as a society, we push ourselves onto others. We all are different and that difference should be respected. Not everyone responds kindly to a bull in a china shop. Some people respond to quiet kindness.

At first, I made her an afghan that she can use for chemo or at home while laying on her couch. Wherever or however she may want to use it. Secondly, I left her a bag full of nausea defying items like saltine crackers and two types of ginger tea. Either times, I didn't knock on her door, just left it there. 

I did that for a couple of reasons: One, I tried to respect her desire to be left alone. Two, I certainly didn't want to disturb her if she was resting. Three, I didn't want to overwhelm her with too many visitors. 

People always ask me how they can help someone going through treatment. They keep asking me that question and yet, I find they don't truly listen. My last treatment was very bittersweet. I had many visitors that would bring me food or call me. That is wonderful, but the one thing I wanted or needed the most was rest. When people would drop by, I would have to entertain them and provide refreshment. They would sit with me for hours and I would become tired. I know people mean well, but do try to remember our bodies are extremely fatigued. If you are planning on visiting a sick friend bringing goodies, please stay an hour tops and allow them to rest. 

I hope I don't offend anyone saying all of this, because it is not my intention. I always appreciate everything that people do for me. Always. 

Have a blessed day everyone.