Not every day is easy but He gives me strength

Just a quick note to say I have learned so much from this battle. I've learned that sometimes I too have not taken time to spend time with people who mean so much to me.  I am learning what is most important.  The best part of my day is my time spent in wee early hours in the morning in His Word.  A friend said to me early on in this recent battle with cancer that she wondered why we try so hard to stay out of Heaven when we know and talk of how wonderful a place it is for all eternity.  I cannot answer that question today and I really cannot put into words why I fight some days. 

I am being honest when I say I am weary watching people more consumed in their cell phones and games and nonessential activities and it consumes a good part of their day!.  I can remember just being with my mom and dad and not doing anything special.. Today I just wish I could spend time with them.  This may seem blunt but it is truthful.  We too many times realize how important our parents are when it is too late.  I value the time with my family.  We use to spend hours with David's parents just around a kitchen table with the guys working on a carburetor with their dad or playing dominoes.  I never knew what it was to go to a mall and buy clothes. I sewed from the time I was in 9th grade and babysat to buy shoes to match.  My parents or David's did not leave a large monetary inheritance to us and yet they left us an even more important legacy--their time, their love of God, simple table games, homes that were not of HGTV quality but were full of love and ones where family time was most important.  Oh, for more of those days now.  We are many times of a fast treadmill of life accomplishing very little as far as God is concerned.

When one is fighting cancer or other life-threatening illness, It teaches you how to establish your priorities each day.  I just want to thank you like I thank God daily for those who keep in touch and pray for me for God to accomplish through me all He wants me to do.

My Thoughts About My Blog...

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand on the earth at last.  And after my body has decayed, and yet in my body I will see God!  I will see Him for myself. Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes.  I am overwhelmed with the thought!!  Job !9: 25-27  Job could say this amidst trials I cannot imagine--hope for any of us to stand.  Read the Ultimate--God's restoration as the result of Job truly knowing His Redeemer!

Be on guard!  Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!   And do everything in love!  I Corinthians 16:13.  Sometimes this is far from easy but each day as I rest in His presence,  I know I can do it but not in my own strength!!

I do not want this Blog to be anything but for His glory and for your encouragement!! Who else has loved you enough to die for you and is always ready to forgive and pick up the broken pieces and failures of our lives?  He is my Best Friend and I pray He is yours.  The best part of my day is my appointment with Him.  AND I can tell if I miss my appointment.  He is my Great Physician and the One upon Whom I lean.  May God rich bless you today and may you allow Him to draw you to Himself.  It is truly the best place to be in this life with its unrest, economic decline, its denial of God, and people seeking the pleasures of this world which will never bring true happiness.

 Sometimes I wonder if I should continue this Blog and if I could spend my time more wisely for Him.  I only share because I want those I know and love to know why I have peace that passes understanding, and I do.  My destiny, like yours, is in His hands.  I do claim healing that it will be an example that when doctors have the worst news and have no answers, that is just the beginning of what will happen if we trust Him and have the faith of a grain of mustard seed to move the mountains in our lives--mine is cancer right now and salvation and Lordship for all my family and friends so we will not only enjoy our time now together but for all eternity!!  I know there are mountains in all of your lives too and faith in Him will move that mountain.  I trust Him in this valley that actually has been a mountaintop experience because I have learned more of Him and how to be more like Him which is His goal for us here on earth!! I continue to trust Him for an even bigger miracle than in the beginning of my diagnosis with cancer and all is well with my soul.

We are in our final days in California and leaving is bittersweet.  I never like leaving my family here and it has also been great this time getting to know some of Tonya and Rick's friends--it is comforting to know that they are surrounded by strong believers.  Steve and Norma came to pray for my healing last Friday night and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and believe my complete healing is from my Great Physician and tonight they are coming again for communion with me.  I thank God for people who I know will continue to daily lift me up before God.  Annette, I met last night at Bunco with women from Tonya's church.  She is a RN and asked if she could pray for me--I was blessed again with another believer who prayed deliverance from cancer for me.  I do pray believing and claim healing. The Bible states that if we pray and do not believe, we are a double-minded man.  My doctor, Dr. Thermos also prayed with me at the end of my consultation.  It is such a blessing to meet God's people thousands of miles away and to know that in eternity if we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,  we will be permanently reunited for fellowship. 

Yesterday started with me being very frustrated and in tears and my sister Sharon prayed with me concerning my heavy hurting heart and God answered those prayers and turned my frustration into blessing with meeting and visiting with Frank, dedicating his life to witnessing in LA, fun times with my daughter and family, dinner at Lazy Dog Restaurant--Japanese cucumber salad, sauteed mushrooms and flatbread without cheese--learning to play Bunco with Tonya's Mom's Connection--special caring Christian women--who shared fun, laughter, and spiritual mentoring, and finally the prayer for my deliverance from cancer as I mentioned earlier by Annette.  It is such a blessing to see young mothers really love the Lord.

Finally, I want to share what I learned from my Teacher this morning. The weak need My strength, The strong need My tenderness, The tempted and fallen need My Salvation' The righteous need My Pity for sinners.  The lonely need a Friend.  The fighters need a Leader  No man could be all these to men--only God could be.  Phillipians 4:13 states:  But my God supplies ALL your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

This morning reading Jesus Calling--Feb 16 date--I just opened to this and like always God spoke to me during a present frustration.  My life struggle has been learning to be a Mary sitting at His feet rather than a Martha trying to do everything.  It is hard for me be cautious and not lift my little Hadassah when she holds her arms up and to not romp on the floor.  I just know for now I cannot take that risk.  So this devotional was for me--Thank Him for the condition that requires you to be still.  Do not spoil these quiet hours by wishing them away, waiting impatiently to be active again.  Instead of resenting the limitation of a weakened body, search for My way in the midst of these very circumstances.  Limitations can be liberating when your strongest desire is living close to Me. This is my desire so I must obey.  God has spoken life into me--not death in this cancer journey so I must remain obedient, trusting for a miracle.

So yesterday while watching more than playing with my grandchildren at the park, I was somewhat frustrated.  Then God brought a man within my vicinity to sit and watch his grandchildren. Prince, our dog, was being overzealous so God used Prince to initiate a divine appointment again.  This man has been a pastor for 35 years and has family in Illinois and has had family in Boone Ia.  We shared for nearly 2 hours about the faithfulness of God in our lives.  He reminded me of my father Paul Temple, also a pastor where we daily knew about the faithfulness of meeting all of our needs and was a shepherd to his people with my mother as a vital part of that team--just loving their people and teaching them the way into the Kingdom.  He shared that people must be able to trust their pastor and that trust must not be lost.  I can hardly wait to enjoy people like these in Heaven forever. I thank God for how he used Prince and my sitting still to bless me with this divine appointment.  I will be keeping touch with this man, also named Paul, through Facebook.  Thank You Jesus!!

Then we attended Tonya and Rick's Bible Study.  What a joy to know that your children are searching the truth with other Christian friends.  I was blessed and they gave me a sack of organic lemons.  God cares even about the details of our lives.

In His heavenly light, Peace grows abundantly and weeds--pride. worry, selfishness, and unbelief--shrivel up.  Thank Him for troublesome situations;  the Peace they can produce far outweighs the trials you endure.  I pray for that Peace in all of your lives.  Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement.

Enjoying beautiful weather and scenery and outings in California with Tonya, Rick, Boaz, Hadassah, and David.  I thank the Lord for every day--I know each day He has His purpose for me on this journey.  Yesterday we went to San Juan Capistrano where the oldest mission and oldest building are and enjoyed a peaceful day but more than anything, the Lord blessed me with 2 divine appointments.  We were waiting at a crosswalk and a 79-year-old Korean vet approached me and remarked about my Star of David necklace. He was using his Memorial day to witness to people with a tract God Loves You and had excellent command of Scripture for all current beliefs in our nation  and of the times we live in.  He tells people like I do that I love Israel and Jewish people and I have had had the privilege of being grafted in and as a Messianic Gentile.  I was so blessed by Monte's witness and left saying Meet you in Heaven where what awaits us is beyond explanation and  comprehension.  Thank You Lord for this opportunity. Then, after returning to Tonya's, had to correct shipping address for an Amazon order and talked to a girl who liked my order that spoke comfort and belief and she shared about an aunt in her 70s who was diagnosed with bilateral Stage 4 breast cancer and given 6-8 months to live--her family is struggling but she has peace and knows where she is going.  We talked for quite a while and we were both blessed!  My prayer is that I will make each day, month, or years count for Him.  None of us knows when our time on earth will end--I have just been given a diagnosis that allows me to be more conscious of my purpose here for my God.The   In God Calling this AM, I was blessed with these thoughts----The presence of His Love is known by me in every difficulty, trial, and failure which have been many and that brings Joy and Peace. Hebrews 13:5 says==And be content with such things as ye have for he hath said, I will never leave thee not forsake thee.  I wish you all a blessed day and once again thank you for all your thoughts and prayers

Just a update while on vacation.  We started our vacation with 31/2 days with my sister Sharon and her husband Jim in Olathe, Ks.  It was true relaxation and I was pampered with my brother-in-law fixing gourmet vegan meals the entire visit after his extensive research for what I could eat.  I have never been so blessed and than my sister and I had a day on our own which meant so much.  My sister and I are the only survivors of a family of 6 and her increasing faith in our almighty God and her encouragement through her pastor's sermons, devotional material, and many inspirational Christian CDs were such good spiritual food for me.  It would be a financial disaster for me to live near Lifeway Christian stores and my all favorite Mardel bookstores.  I thank God everyday for the support of my sister and brother-in-la
We then traveled for 14 hours through Kansas, my home state, Colorado, Utah and stayed overnight for a few hours before continuing our trip to LaHabra, California to be with Tonya, Boaz, and Hadassah, ou,r beautiful daughter and grandchildren and arrived at 3:30 PM.  Rick was in Australia on business and arrived home Wednesday AM.  Somehow symptoms of my tendonitis began to return and I had to locate an orthopedic Dr and God answered my prayer with a wonderful Dr. Shah who x-rayed my left shoulder area for metastatic cancer and yes cancer which I already suspected was involved in microscopic spots in arm and shoulder areas.  I never consented to a PET scan due to extended radiation exposure and knowing whatever results, my treatment option would not change.  The Dr was not sure if symptoms were related to cancer involvement but since same symptoms were resolved completely with a cortisone injection, he gave me another injection.  He was impressed with my range of motion, arm strength and overall well being and was supportive of alkaline water, vegan diet in attempt to restore my body to alkaline pH and enhance my immunity.  He said he would be available any way he could help the rest of my stay.

Wednesday I will see Dr Thermos who was my oncologist in California when I was first treated for breast cancer with hyperbaric O2 and IV Vitamin C.  My regrets are that I wandered away from my regime but God is forgiving and has helped me to resume a even more rigorous regime.  Now I rely on the almighty Physician for complete healing and regeneration of cells involved if it be His well.  He continues to give peace which passes understanding and when there is no answer humanly speaking.  I have a trust that waits long and am sure of God's guidance.  There continues to be One Who knows and Who marks every crisis, every effort, every heartache.  How unseeing the world goes on sometimes unknowing of one's heartaches, troubles, battles won, our conquests, and difficulties.  I know God is in control of all these for me and any victory I attain in this battle I ascribe glory to Him.  I thank God for the support and prayers of so many family and friends and go forward knowing He is holding me and nothing takes Him by surprise and sometimes I only see one set of footprints when I know I cannot walk alone and they are His footprints and I rest in His arms once again.

Continue to pray for David and our wonderful daughters and grandchildren as they walk through this valley with me.  I know that humanly speaking this is very difficult and we are so human and need to continue to rely on God's strength.

This week has been ceaseless activity--not part of God's plan. I finally had to reconcile myself to go to Dr and be treated for what has been diagnosed as tendonitis--cortisone injection in left shoulder, Naprosyn, and short bout with PT.  Cancer is a battle of the mind and without God in control of your mind, it is a very difficult discouraging battle.  It is difficult to comprehend a simple more normal diagnosis after being diagnosed with metastatic cancer.  BUT, GOD  is faithful and the therapist could not how good I looked, my strength and my range of motion after a left mastectomy (the rewards of no chemo or radiation which I continue to be His plan for me!  Then after therapy when we were in the midst of putting in a new refrigerator (after 28 years) I experienced a bout of sharp lower back pain and momentarily could not straighten my back.  As a nurse, I immediately thought pathologic fracture so I drew aside and asked God for a miracle --I knew once again this was not impossible for Him.  He answered my prayers again in HIs faithfulness and my mobility is good.  May I take more of your time and share some of His encouraging words to me these past
few days.         As the heavens are higher  than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9      God is a Father who teaches us... In no uncertain terms, He shows us that His viewpoint and wisdom are many many rungs higher than ours.  We're foolish unless we always make Him our point of reference for counsel.  He has the master plan of our life and, knowing the end from the beginning, is best prepared to lead us.  Trust Him with your destiny. Trials, suffering, or tragedy may often seen the end.  Yet one day...we will be able to look back and say. "Oh, Father I see. Now I see!"  That is how He helps me see this journey with cancer daily.  I trust Him wholeheartedly with His plan for my life--even now.  I pray that you will have a blessed day and also learn to trust Him