Show and Tell

Live as citizens of heaven... and... Fun with Mat Stack 3

Today is Friday. It is September 30th. Wow. Another month virtually gone. Crazy.

Radiation went very quickly today. They were ahead of schedule, so I was finished by the time of my actual appointment. That's always good. We're really on the countdown now. Just four more radiation appointments and seven more chemo treatments. Then a period of rest and a time of reassessment. They are planning to try to reduce my steroid dose one more time. I can't really remember when, but I think it may be Sunday. You can be praying that goes well... whenever it is. :) 

Our doorbell rang after lunch today and a nice surprise awaited on the other side of the door...

Yep. A tray of IKEA cinnamon rolls. They were obviously irresistable as you can see that my mom and I wasted no time getting into them. Thanks so much, Susie (and Margie)! You know what I like and they really hit the spot! :) (Yes, I love IKEA cinnamon rolls... but you can see there are still four left in the tray. Please, my dear local friends... wait awhile before inundating us with more cinnamon rolls. At some point in time I'm going to have to work off all this bread and sugar and that is not going to be fun! But my tastebuds and I sure do appreciate your very tangible expressions of love for me!)

 

Let's move on to some scripture (because if I keep talking about cinnamon rolls, I'm going to have another!). Today we're going into the New Testament. Philippians, to be exact.

Philippians 1:27 and 2:3-5

"Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ."

"Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ had."

I try to always be mindful of how I'm coming across to others. Hmmm. I don't think that's exactly what I mean, because it sounds rather surface-y. What I really want to remember is that, because most people surely know by now that I'm a Christian, well... that I have a responsibility to act like one. And that means acting like Christ acted when He walked the earth. Unselfish. Humble. Not trying to impress people. Taking an interest in others. Putting others before self. 

Really, these are not natural, are they? We all have at least a few selfish bones in our bodies, I think. I know that I do (and my family can attest to that!). But, we don't have to give in to our selfish desires. The Lord will help us to show the results of our salvation (Philippians 2:12). He is working in us to give us the desire to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13).

What helps me is what you have observed me doing here — reading the Word. Digesting it. Making it personal. Focusing on what is applicable and meaningful to me at the time. And just dwelling on the instructions from the Lord. Read His Word, think about it, and see if it doesn't seep into your pores and start to change the way you think and act, too. 

 

Time to move on to some craftiness.

As you know, we have had so many people bringing us all manner of things. But one thing that has been so meaningful and helpful is the steady stream of meals that have been brought to the house. We have been overwhelmed by the love and support of our local community — our neighbors, our local friends, our church family, the families and alumni families of the preschool where I work, members of the Curves where I work-out... like I said, it's been overwhelming.

We've been quite haphazard with our expressions of thanks and Ken finally typed up a little note that we could give to people when they drop off food.

Of course, I couldn't let well-enough alone — so starting yesterday, people who drop meals off will be getting the note with a little Janelle-twist.

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I pulled out a bunch of Papertrey Ink stamps and am just working my way down the stack, making a bunch of cards to have on hand. We gave the first away last night, allowing the almost-six year old girl to pick which one she liked. Sophie Ann has drawn me many pictures and sent me many cards, so it was only fitting that she should be the first to get one of our official thank you notes. (With no hesitation she chose the one on the top left with the shiny crackle, the flowers, the rhinestones, and the blue bird... I think I could've predicted. :) )

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Mat Stack 3 Collection); cardstock varies; patterned paper is from my stash; ink is Stampin' Up (Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Basic Gray); pearl is SU; rhinestone is Kaiser (clear); also used PTI's Mat Stack 3 die.

Since it is, once again, after 4:00 (where does the time go???) — well, I think it's time to close this up and maybe watch some HGTV shows before I set up the DVR for next week's shows. Can't miss my decorating inspiration. Not that I'm doing any decorating right now, but I sure am accumulating lots of ideas! :)

Do you have fun plans for the weekend? We're hoping to go down the street on Saturday to our neighborhood ball field where they're having a big Oktoberfest celebration. The weather is supposed to be pleasantly cool (for here, that would mean in the 60s), so I'm hoping to have the energy to get out and socialize a bit. Then Sunday is stamp club, but I'm going to have to forego it — because there's also a Panther's game and nothing can get in the way of rooting for them (especially now that they have a win under their belt!). But I will miss seeing my stamp club buddies. :(

Well, thank you so much for dropping by and spending some of your precious time here with me. I plan to be back tomorrow — but we'll see. I may just decide to take a day off... so don't panic if I'm not here. OK? Sending you lots of love and big ol' hugs! 

Thinking of you!

Today is Thursday, September 29. I'm getting a late start today. It's already well after 5:00, so I'm going to need to work fast!

One reason this is a little late is that I seemed to be a little more tired this morning. First of all, I slept until the alarm telling us it was time to take some pills went off at 6:00. Often times I wake up at 5:00, so there I'd already lost an hour of my day. Then after the radiation treatment and having some blood drawn, I slept until some time after 11:00. I worked in my craft room most of the morning (you'll see that project tomorrow, I think), had lunch, worked in the craft room some more, napped again, and then had a special treat:

Oh, yeah. You know that made me happy! My friend Mary came and picked me and my mom up and drove us to Pinkberry, where we met another friend, Debbie. Nothing like a little pomegranate Pinkberry with a few toppings to brighten my day. :)

After our little frozen treat, we dashed home to meet one of the preschoool moms who was dropping off a meal for us. It was so great to visit with her and her two girls. They brought dinner for tonight, breakfast for tomorrow, and a bag of papercrafting goodies. (People are really way too good to us!) Oh, and they also brought one more thing that I just had to take a picture of...

Oreo flowers. Are those not the cutest things? Almost too cute to eat. But, you can bet that I won't be able to resist those Oreo sunflowers for too long! So glad that I haven't lost my sweet tooth. :)

Well, we probably need to get on with things here. Like some scripture for today.

Psalm 71:1-3

"O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress."

There were so many portions of scripture that spoke to me in today's readings. Some in Isaiah. Some in Philippians. But I keep coming back to the Psalms. And the ones that speak to me there seem to be the verses that beg the Lord for rescue and protection.

And, you know, I think the verses that I chose speak for themselves. I need God to listen to me, protect me, rescue me, save me. He is my rock of safety... my fortress. I trust in Him.

 

It's getting pretty late and we have a bunch of DVRed shows to watch, so I need to make this last part pretty quick. :)

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I don't often do cards with a lot of inking around the edges. I usually prefer a more clean look, but every once in awhile a card just needs something more... and this one was treated to the "dirty and aged" look. Must say, I do kind of like it. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Modern Wood Mats, Flower Fusion #7); cardstock is PTI (Rustic White); ink is Stampin' Up (Night of Navy, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink) and PTI (Tea Dye Duo); ribbon is PTI Swiss Dot Satin (Sweet Blush); also used PTI's Flower Fusion #7 die and pinking shears.

And that has to be it for today. Ken is ready to clean out the DVR list. He likes things neat and tidy. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope to see you back here again tomorrow. Sending you hugs!

O Lord, do not delay... and... Happy Birthday to a long-time friend

Today is Wednesday, September 28. It was my first day of the more concentrated zap of radiation. Maybe I didn't say that right. By more concentrated I mean (and I think I explained this before) that instead of focusing the radiation over a large area of brain, including the surrounding areas of swelling, they have now begun to concentrate the zapping on the actual tumor. So today's treatment took a little longer as they had to reset the machine to do what they wanted it to do, where they wanted it to be done, and take all kinds of numbers and calibrations and what not. However, since they were so backed up the last couple of days, it was really my shortest appointment of the week. It's always nice to walk in to an empty waiting room. That means they're on schedule. And being on schedule is, of course, a good thing. :)

So — even though the treatment has changed slightly, nothing else changed. It didn't make me more or less tired afterwards — or feel any differently at all. And they didn't expect it to. Of course, I'm always good with feeling pretty good, so this is a pretty successful day in my book. I expect the rest of the week to be the same. And that's cause for happiness, too.

 

Today's scripture is from the Psalms again. 

Psalm 70:4-5

"But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, 'God is great!' But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O Lord, do not delay."

God loves it when we seek Him — so searching for Him does lead to joy and gladness. And, I think, to the knowledge that God truly is great! I mean, think of all He has done for you. Nothing happening in my life is reflective of the way God loves and cares about me. No... I said that wrong. EVERYTHING in my life is reflective of the way God loves and cares about me — even the fact that I have a brain tumor. God has shown me over and over again that He loves me and will continue to care for me through whatever comes my way. 

But... I AM poor and needy right now. I DO need the Lord to hurry to my aid. I'd really like this tumor to just be zapped away... or divinely disappear... or just plain old be gone! Only the Lord can orchestrate that, I know. He is my savior. He is my helper. And, I pray, that He does not delay. I have a lot of living and serving left to do! I thank you for joining me in my prayers for healing. 

 

Today's card I made way before my blog days. Kind of sad that it's still hanging around my craft room, isn't it? I really like it — but, as I've said before, I'm much better at making cards than sending them. I've been trying to change that, but I'm the master of finding something else to do.

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I will be sending this card out, though. Of course, it will be late because the recipient — a friend from high school — well, her birthday is today. And she lives on the west coast. And I live on the east coast. Not sure why I can't get my act together enough to get cards out on time. Especially in this age where Facebook gives us reminders of who's birthday is coming up. There's no excuse other than the usual one — that time just got away from me. Hope your birthday was extra happy, Larita! (And, to my other good high school friends whose birthdays I've missed this year [that would be you, Melinda and Holly]... I apologize! I've always been rather haphazard — I think you know that that! — and hopefully will be more organized next year. Also, I doubt that I'll be preparing for or recovering from a child's wedding next year like I was on your birthdays this year! Maybe that will help!)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Borders & Corners Rectangles); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); patterned paper is from my stash... no idea where it came from but I really like it!; ink is SU (Real Red, I think); ribbon is from Target's Dollar Spot, I think; also used Spellbinders Nestabilities (Classic Scallop Squares).

I can't think of anything else for today, so it's probably time to wrap things up. You don't need to listen to me ramble on about nothing!

Oh — don't know if you'd be interested or not... but if you're a cardmaker and don't know about Susan and Jennifer's One Layer Wednesday Challenge... well Susan featured me today and is asking people to create a one-layer card that is inspired by something seen or written on my blog. You can see her post here. (Thanks, Susan, for the honor... and the huge amount of additional blog hits!)

To everyone, thank you so much for visiting with me today. I so appreciate hearing from you and love reading the messages that your leave for me! Have a great rest of your day!

Be Encouraged... and... Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Tuesday, September 27. I slept in a bit this morning and, while that feels good sometimes, it also really makes me out of sorts because it makes the whole schedule a little more rushed. Of course, nothing has been normal around here for a couple of months, but the most usual thing seems to be that I wake up on my own sometime between 5 and 5:30. I read my Bible and a couple devotional books and then spend some time making a card or something. About 7:15 or 7:30 I start the whole grooming process and am downstairs for breakfast by 8:00. My radiation appointment is at 9:00, but we're usually there by 8:50 — and normally they take me in fairly quickly. This week, however, there have been a lot of new patients who take a little longer and today the machine lost power and had to be powered back up, so everything was way behind. Where I'm usually in and out quickly... today I didn't get out of the office until closer to 10:00. Not good when you're already tired and crabby! 

But, I came home and took a good nap. Woke up in a better frame of mind. Had some lunch. Had a couple visitors and now, at 3:30, I am finally getting to today's blog post. 

Oh! I got a couple of my Etsy and internet purchases today. Nothing like some happy maii, right? First the internet. I had ordered Flylady's water bottles because I was tired of the squishiness of the plastic water bottles from the grocery store. They make too much noise and are not very eco-friendly — so I thought I'd give the Flylady stainless steel bottles a try.

Pretty, aren't they? I'm using the smaller one right now am loving it.

And then Etsy. I love ordering stuff from Etsy because the sellers almost always do a little bit extra to make what is already fun mail into mail that is more fun.

Nothing like tissue paper and curling ribbon to make something you paid for seem like a gift. :)

And here's me wearing the chemo cap that was inside.

I figured that this color may be good for Panther's games, which I hope to start going to again. Or, at least, I can wear it while sitting on the couch eating crackers, cheese, sausage, and fruit cut up into an attractive display by Ken. :)

 

So — here's some scripture for today. Don't take this first part too literally, OK?

Psalm 69:29-33

"I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

"Then I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people."

In case you are wondering, I personally am not suffering or in pain. At least not so far. But it's great to know that if I ever am I can call out to the Lord for rescue. And because I know His character and because I'm confident of His great love for me, I know that whatever challenges come my way that He will help to see me through them.

But what God really desires from us is praise and thankfulness. He is the One who will meet all our needs and He deserves to be recognized for that. And He desires that recognition. I think that as humans we sometimes try to make deals with God. You know... God, if you get me through this situation, I'll ... whatever... stop swearing... go to church... be nice to that person I don't like... you fill in your own dot-dot-dot. I don't think God is really interested in making deals with us. He just wants our hearts. He wants us to be humble enough to admit that we're not in charge. That He is. It says here that when were are humble we will be able to see God at work. And, to me, that is encouraging. Really, I would much rather He be in charge of my life because every time I have tried to be in charge things haven't gone all that well.

And then most encouraging, I think, is the fact that the Lord hears us when we cry out to Him. I mean, face it. We are a needy people. What can we truly do without His help? Or may I should say, what can we truly do successfully... what can we truly do that will be of lasting value... without His help? He hears our cries. He does not despise us. He desires to help us. Shore up your relationship with Him. It is where you will truly find peace.  

 

And now it's time for today's card. It's the last card that I'm doing in this Farewell Tour for Stampin' Up's All-Year Cheer III — a very old Stampin' Up set that I'm purging from my collection and giving to someone else to enjoy. In case you've missed it, you can click here, here, here, and here to see the other cards I made using this set.  

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For not really having a plan when I started, I think it turned out fairly well. Of course, I rarely have a plan when I get started... I just kind of see where the supplies lead me. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (All-Year Cheer III, Spring Solitude); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream) and SU (Dusty Durango, Marigold Morning); ink is SU (So Saffron, Early Espresso); stickers are Martha Stewart (Harvest Collection Leaf); also used SU's Square Lattice embossing folder and Lots of Tags Label 1 die.

And since it's after 5:00 now, I think I'll close this up. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you've had a fabulous day! Sending you lots of love from me!

unfailing love... and... just a note

Today is Monday, September 26. It is after 1:30 as I begin this post and so far it has been a good day. And, you know that I love that! Of course, who doesn't love a good day? My definition of a good day has just changed somewhat. A good day around here now means a clear head and minimal naps. And time to complete a blog post and maybe watch a little TV. Quite a life, huh? Eventually I'll add going to work into the mix, but right now I'm usually so tired after a radiation treatment that I end up napping the morning away — and when your job is basically a half-day morning/early afternoon job... well, between treatment, naps, and lunch there's just not a lot of time or energy for work. I'm hopeful that once radiation is over, though, that I'll be able to get back to a regular work schedule... or close to it.

Today I learned that after tomorrow the focus of the radiation changes... meaning it becomes concentrated on a smaller area. The way I understand it is that right now, because there is a lot of swelling associated with the tumor, they have been targeting a large area — the tumor and all the swollen areas around it. After tomorrow, they'll narrow the focus and target the actual tumor. Of course, I may have that wrong... but that's what I understood them to say today. And, as is usual with me, I didn't ask how that will affect me. I guess I'll just see what happens. They are planning to keep my steroid dose the same throughout this week and I think try reducing it one more time at the beginning of next week.

I think that's the medical update for today. Boy, I long for the day when you don't have to endure those (and I don't have to write them)!

 

Now it's time for today's scripture — from the Psalms again. 

Psalm 69:5-6, 16

"O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you. Don't let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, O Sovereign Lord of Heaven's Armies. Don't let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel....

"Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me for your mercy is plentiful."

Again I'm reminded of dcTalk's song, "What if I Stumble" (it's imbedded in this post). I've either commented on a similar verse before or just talked about this before, but one of my "fears" has always been that I'll do or say something stupid that will lead people astray. It remains a concern of mine... especially as I post so much here on the internet. I am often so very foolish and God knows that's true. I do pray that my foolishness does not cause people to lose sight of the Lord. And that when I temporarily lose my way that I am either quickly convicted by the Holy Spirit or confronted by another Believer. And I pray that my heart remains soft to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to me — because, really, I prefer His chastisement (especiallly when he's gentle with me) to something more public and humiliating. And, I'm not too fond of having to apologize. :)

Since my world is a bit isolated right now — I'm not going to work or out into public too much — it's pretty easy to remain focused on the Lord and be "more spiritual". Also, I do work in a Christian environment — which doesn't necessarily mean that we all always act in Christian ways, but it does provide us with a similar standard of behavior and understanding of each other. So, I realize that my situation may make it easier to live in a holy way. But I do believe that God provides help for us in bad situations. Sometimes all we have to do is ask.

I was in a situation once as a teacher where I felt like my assistant was persecuting one especially precocious child because he talked a lot and was a bit of a smart-mouth. (He was pretty funny, though. I stifled many-a-smile that year! :) ) Anyway, I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to handle it and after a couple days it finally dawned on me to pray about it. The next day, at the time of day where the clash regularly occured, the assistant came to me and said something like, "The way I've been disciplining so-and-so has not been working so I've decided not to do that anymore." I was so flabbergasted. And thankful for the speedy answer to prayer. So — I guess I'm saying, when you have a concern... pray about it! Seems obvious, doesn't it? So why does it often take us so long to think of that? The Lord wants us to be dependent on Him. He wants to help us in all sorts of situations. Nothing is too big or too small to take to Him in prayer. 

And, why does He do this (rescue us)? Because He hears our prayers. He loves us with an unfailing love. He loves to take care of us. And His mercy is plentiful. Could you ask for anything more? I think not!

 

Well, I spent a little time in the craft room this morning so I have something new to share today. That makes me happy. :)

If you've been around here for quite awhile, you know I decided to get rid of some of my stamp sets... but I wanted to have a party for each one before sending it off to live with a friend. Originally, I was doing that by using each stamp in the set... but I just couldn't get inspired by all the stamps in this particular set so I decided to break my rules. Instead, I'm just doing the images that I want to do. I guess when you make the rules you can break the rules. :)

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The little sentiment is the image from the set that I'm giving away.

And this is yet another card that didn't go exactly as planned. In fact, I'll explain my idea but it is still really hard to see, so I guess it didn't work out too well. My thought was that I would stamp the large image with Versamark, quickly cut it into strips, separate the strips in order, and then emboss every other one. Would've worked pretty well if I has separated the strips in order so I didn't have two unembossed strips in a row. Oh, well. Mistakes are opportunities for improvements, right? So I employed my favorite distraction tactic... strips of glitter. :) And I think that, somehow, I came up with a pretty decent looking card. 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (All-Year Cheer III, Bella Toile); cardstock is SU (vellum) and a pre-scored card from Halcraft (Natural Color Card Value Pack); ink is Versamark and StazOn (Jet Black); embossing powder is Stamp-n Stuff (Detail Clear); glitter is Prisma (ultra fine gold); stickers are Martha Stewart (orange-yellow dahlia); also used 1/8" Scor-tape.

Thought I'd show you a couple pictures from around here. This first one is from the spread that Ken puts out for us to eat while we watch our Carolina Panthers play football.

He's pretty amazing, isn't he? In the pre-brain tumor days when I was doing all this, there would have been a pile of cheese slices and a pile of sausage slices. No fruit. My only quirk with our sausage and cheese was that there had to be the same number of each and they needed to be fairly thinly and evenly sliced. Well, Ken has taken our Sunday afternoon football meal to new heights. :) (We also have a basket full of crackers and our own mustard preferences — Ken's regular old yellow mustard and my honey-mustard.) Anyway, every Sunday you can now picture what we'll be eating during the football game. Unless Ken changes things up a bit. Which could happen. :)

Then I thought I'd show you my morning nap couch companion.

Isn't she a sweetie? Actually, she doesn't stay on the couch with me for very long. She thinks I take up too much room. :)

And that's probably enough for today. Thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate your visits so much! Have a great rest of your day — and I'm sending you hugs!

In His Arms... and... A Cupcake Story

Today is Sunday, September 25. Church day. Football day. 

We went to church this morning. As always, it was great. Pre-brain tumor, I took notes at each worship service. Now the last time I took notes must've been the Sunday before our daughter's wedding — which would've been July 24. I'm not sure that I have the capability to listen and write at the same time anymore, but maybe I should give it a try because I do have trouble remembering the details when I don't take notes. Although, as I wrote that I remembered that Kelvin spoke from Romans 12 — I think verses 9 through the end of the chapter — which is a great list of how a Christian should live. Things like... love and honor others... work hard... be patient in difficult times... keep on praying... bless others (even those who persecute you)... live at peace with others... don't take revenge... conquer evil by doing good. Wouldn't the world be a nice place to live in if everyone abided by that list?

And, how about some more scripture. Here is our "official" scripture for the day:

Psalm 68:19-20

"Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. God is our God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death."

Yes, I know. I seem to be very drawn to passages of scripture that refer to God rescuing us. Really, though, can you blame me? I long to be rescued from this brain tumor... in a physical healing sort of way. I'd love to keep living and serving God here on earth. I mean, I know that heaven is great (well, better than great!), but I also think that God put into us the desire to live and so I want to live! But, either way, I am so thankful that God carries me in His arms! Aren't you thankful that He does the same for you?

 

Well, I don't have a craft for you today. I do have one that I could use, but think that I'll save it for another day. Instead let's just talk about cupcakes. Most people who know me, know that I really enjoy sweets (although, I'm a bit alarmed that that seems to be declining somewhat... yikes!). 

So, one day several weeks ago we noticed two big fancy tins on our front porch. 

The front of this card (you'll have to scroll way down to see it) was taped to one of the tins — which gave me a clue that my Curves friend Sara Gwynn was somehow involved, since it was a card that I had made for her. (She didn't know that I really don't care to mass produce cards... most cards that I send are one-of-a-kind.) But there was also a message on the back of the card that indicated that they were from "Aunt Krissy" — which is what my kids call Ken's sister. That seemed a little odd, but... well... a lot of times I suffer from a deplorable lack of curiosity. Besides, there were cupcakes to be eaten. :) Ken, however, likes to get to the bottom of things — so he made it his mission to solve the mystery.

And, here's the story.

We live in North Carolina. Kris (Ken's sister) lives in California. She was feeling very far away from us and was complaining to the Lord about that fact one morning. She had discovered a recipe for champagne cupcakes that she wanted to make us cupcakes, but — let's face it — these delicate cupcakes would not survive the trip.

As she was praying, she realized that she just needed to find someone in Charlotte to make them for her. She thought of asking my next door neighbor or one of the teachers at the school where I work, but then she remembered (as she says, "like a lightning bolt") me mentioning Sara Gwynn on my blog — my Curves buddy who loves sweets as much as I do. Not knowing which Curves I worked out at, she just began calling Curves stores and asking if she had the one where I worked out. Once she found the right store, she told them she needed Sara Gwynn's phone number and why — and they gladly complied. :) 

Once she got ahold of Sara Gwynn, Kris instantly had a partner in crime. Sara Gwynn made the cupcakes using Kris's recipe and delivered them to our house. Since our garage door was open she left them in our garage and then drove away. We found the two tins fairly quickly and brought them inside, puzzling over who had left them (while we munched away...). Sara Gwynn, though, didn't know that we had found them right away and called Kris in a panic because it was so hot and she was afraid we wouldn't find them until all the icing had melted off. Or that someone would steal them. (And they might have if they had known how delicious they were!)

Anyway, that's the cupcake story. What a great surprise it was... and if Sara Gwynn hadn't used the front of the cupcake card I made for her we probably never would have known where the cupcakes came from. And all of us have had some good smiles over the whole thing. Don't you love a good surprise?

And it has gotten quite late so it's time that I wrap this up. After watching the Panthers game (they won!), I started on the post but I am so, so slow — and now I've been distracted by Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I think I mentioned before that one of our friends coordinates the making of window treatments for the show and that, since this episode was filmed in Fayetteville — just a few hours from us, Ken was invited to go with them to help with the installation. It was a long day/night for him but he loved the experience. So it's going to be fun to see how everything turned out.

That truly is it for today now! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit — I really love being in touch with you. See you again soon!

He is Able... and... Off-Center Thank You

Today is Saturday, September 24. It's been a good day so far. I had a brief nap this morning and since then have been online spending money. And... you know that's always fun. :) I ordered Flylady's water bottles, both of them. I'm tired of squishy plastic bottles of water. And since I'm drinking quite a bit of water these days, this seemed like a good option... both for the environment and for the pocketbook. I'll let you know how I like them once they arrive.

Then I got on Etsy and ordered four or five different things to cover my partially bald head. Most of them are types of chemo hats... kind of a tight-fitting cotton knit cap. Then I also ordered one that is like a scrub hat to see how I like that. It's a cotton print. Of course, being the cheapie that I am, I ordered one that is on clearance. The print is nice but it wasn't my favorite of the bunch. Thought I'd try one out to see how I like it before I spent the extra bucks for something more current. Must say, I'm pretty excited for the mail to start arriving over the next couple of weeks! Of course, I'll keep you updated. :)

 

I think we'll get into some scripture now. This is a goody from the New Testament today.

Ephesians 3:20

Now all glory to God, who is able through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

I've been sitting here pondering what that might mean. And here's what I've come up with. God wants to work through us. He wants to use us to accomplish His purposes. He gives us mighty power. And when we use His mighty power, we are able to do so much more than anyone would think possible. I know... pretty basic... I just repeated what Paul wrote in Ephesians. Hard to improve on the apostle Paul!

But here is my other thought. I have a pretty big imagination. I can dream of wild things. Can God really match the crazy imagination that He gave me? Silly question, I know. Of course, he can! And I'm thinking of some big things that it'd be fun for God and I to do together... things that are just nebulous ideas in the back of my mind right now. But I'm praying and we'll just see what happens in the coming months.

Now let's talk about you. Is there a dream that God has put in your heart? What does He want to accomplish through you? How has He uniquely gifted you to make a difference in your little corner of the world? Great questions to spend some time noodling over. God wants each of us to make an impact for His glory. How you live out your faith matters. So — what are you doing? Might be a good weekend to give it some thought. :)

 

And now it's time for a very sad crafty portion of the post.

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Sad for a variety of reasons. First of all, this card was given with the little triangle box that I showed in this post. But I had many brain tumor moments here. First of all, obviously, the entire card if off-center. I've kind of come to accept that sort of thing from myself these days, so I just shrug my shoulders and move on. Then there's the scoring. The top two score lines are closer together than the bottom two. It's a small thing but it still makes me say "grrrr". And THEN I used the wrong green, so it doesn't really match the box like it was supposed to. Oh, and I used the wrong triangle stamp... so it really doesn't match AT ALL. Then there is the little matter of the partially stamped images. Man! Don't think I've ever made so many mistakes on one card and still used it. How far my standards have dropped! :) (And, sorry, Kristine, that you received such a defective card with the little box that actually turned out quite well!)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Tranquility Trilogy); cardstock is PTI (Vintage Cream); ink is Stampin' Up (Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi).

Since I gave you such a lousy card, I was going to tell you a cool story about a surprise that my sister-in-law Kris orchestrated for me, but I've tried two times and then had to redo the photographs and specifics in the crafty part of the post each time. And while I know that the third time is supposed to be the charm — well, I just didn't have it in me to give it one more go. So, this will be it for the day. And hopefully tomorrow I'll have better success and can tell you the really great cupcake story. I think you'll love it... :) 

Now, as always, I thank you so much for stopping by and I wish you a very pleasant rest of your weekend! Hugs and love to you! 

Deep Waters... and... You are a Blessing

Today is Friday, September 23. It was my 21st day of radiation and my 30th day of chemotherapy. Time is marching on. And the end of this phase is coming into view. I will have a total of 30 radiation treatments, so just 9 more. I must say, I've gotten a little attached to those people and will miss seeing them five days a week! Don't think I'll miss the mask and the whole zapping thing, though. As far as the chemo goes, and I think I've told you this before, the plan now involves a three week break and then ramping up the intensity a bit with a higher dose for something like seven days and then a three week break — and that goes on for something like a year. Sounds fun, no? :)

I had blood drawn yesterday and today we learned that it all looked really good. Now — I don't know exactly what that means, but if they say my blood looks good... well, I'm good with that!

Yesterday I received a sweet and thoughtful gift from a blog reader in the mail (Thanks, Karin!) — two knit caps to cover my partially bald head. Here's me wearing one:

I've never really been able to rock the hat look, but these are the softest and prettiest little hats. I'll show you the other one another day.

And, I think I said I'd consider showing you my bald strip. I had Ken take a picture and must say that it was shocking — even to me. Don't know if you really want to see this or not, but here goes...

Hmmm. Startling. Can't imagine what it will look like as the hair starts to grow back. But that could be a while, so I think I'll definitely be concentrating on covering that bald strip up!

 

Today's scripture comes from the Old Testament... the prophet Isaiah, to be exact.

Isaiah 43:1-4, 13

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, 

'Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name, you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you....

'From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.'"

OK — first of all, I'll confess that some of the rhetoric in the Old Testament bothers me. It's not too bad or graphic in this passage, but there is a quite a bit of killing and unkindness that just makes little New Testament and 21st Century Christian me uncomfortable. And I just have to get past that. This is the Old Testament and it's just the way things were. Actually, life has never been fair for everyone (or maybe for anyone!) so I'm not sure why some of it bothers me so much. Well, whatever. Just had to get that off my chest. :)

But, really, here the important things that struck me today. First of all, again, that God is so personal. He knows my name. Think about that. The God of all creation knows my name — and He knows yours, too. Let me say it again... He knows our names. That in itself is just amazing to me. 

He also does not leave me. No matter what. He stays with me through every single trial. Why does He do that? Because I'm precious to Him. Imagine that — God formed us... and we are precious to Him. We are honored. He loves us. And because of His great love for us, no one (NO ONE!) can snatch us out of His hand. What a great reassurence! All this stuff I'm going through — God is going through it with me. I am not alone. How cool is that? And you and your stuff? You're not alone either. Gotta love a God who never leaves you and stays with you even when the going gets tough!

 

Well, I haven't made anything new for awhile, so I'm back to showing one of the first things that I made after getting out of the hospital.

At the time I was pretty focused on making cards to give to people who were bringing us food. Wish I could say that I had done that and that everyone who has done something nice for us has received a card. I'm just so much better at making cards than actually using them. It's disgusting, really. We have at least a partial list and hope to work through it. But, I know I've said it before, if you have done something for us and haven't been officially thanked (or are never thanked!) it doesn't me we aren't thankful. It does mean that we have been completely blown away and overwhelmed by your kindnesses!

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Just a little flat card. And I wish I had written down exactly what colors I used, but since I didn't... what I put below is my best guess. Sorry about that.  

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Gracious Vases); card is a flat card that I got a couple hundred of on deep dark clearance a few years ago; ink is Stampin' Up (Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso).

That will be it for today. You can say a prayer for my weekend because they always make me anxious. I'm not exactly sure why. I've had bad Saturdays, but I think I've had good Saturdays, too. All of my Sundays have been good and for that I am incredibly grateful. I've only missed one Sunday worship service since coming home from the hospital and that was day after coming home. I'd sure like to continue that streak!

Have a fantastic weekend... go do something fun and tell me all about it. I love a good vicarious experience! Thank you so much for all your prayers and kindnesses! Sure do love and appreciate each every one of you! :) 

Don't be discouraged... and... Foliage Trails

Today is Thursday, September 22. I'm very tired this morning, but I'm going to try to soldier through — and take lots of naps. I am having blood work done this morning after radiation. I'll try to take a nap before then. And I'm sure after, too.

OK — blood work is done. I've had a few naps. Ian came by for a surprise visit after lunch. Gotta love that! He's always quite entertaining... and we got to hear more about his Nashville trip, which was fun. Of course, since it was a surprise visit I didn't have my hat on — so he got to see me in my partial baldness. He didn't throw up or run from the house screaming... so I guess he handled it well. :)

I haven't talked about my hair loss for awhile. Maybe I'll have to take another picture because I think what's going to fall out has fallen out now — and it's quite interesting. It's kind of like I have a headband of skin from ear to ear — I don't know, maybe 3 inches wide — with hair in the front and back. An unusual look, for sure! I hear about people's hair growing back a different color or texture, so who knows what I'll look like in a few months! 

 

Here is today's scripture. Two verses. The second one is probably very familiar to many of you.

Isaiah 41:9-10

"I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.' For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious hand."

I chose these verses this morning, hoping that I would feel better as the day went on. And I do feel better now. But, I can tell you that it would be very easy to get discouraged through this whole process. The fatigue is unbelievable at times. I've never been so tired in my life. And sleeping the day away is not something that I really like to do. But I guess I just need to go with what my body's telling me now and trust that eventually my energy will be restored.

But, back to the verses, I love in verse 9 where it says, "I will not throw you away." God loves me. He chose me. He cherishes me and He will not discard me like a piece of trash. He's not even going to leave me to fend for myself. I love that! 

And, because He chose me, I don't have to be afraid because He will not leave me. I don't have to be discouraged because He is my God. Can you see how personal God is? And He's not just personal for me... He's not just talking to me. He's talking to you, too. He's telling you (and me!)... Don't be discouraged... Don't be afraid... I'm here for you... I'm going to strengthen you... I'm going to help you get through whatever it is you're going through... I'm going to hold you up and make you a banner of my love and faithfulness for all to see. And isn't that just cool? It makes me feel better and gives me strength to keep on keepin' on!

 

Now onto something crafty. 

I've mentioned how friends and neighbors have just been showering me with gifts — which I appreciate, but is so not necessary or expected — and the items I used here are some that a neighbor family brought by the first time they visited. (Thank you, Moores!)

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I don't use embossing powder too often, but this card was crying out for the clear powder on the foliage spray. And, I think for the first time ever, I didn't make a mess with the embossing powder — so, yay me! :)

The sentiment was made by piecing together words from a set given to me by other friends. (Thanks, Kathy & Sheri!) I love being able to create my own sentiment sometimes, so having a set that just has lots of words that you can pick and choose from is pretty fun!

AND TELL:  stamps are from Inkadinkadoo (Foliage Trails) and The Paper Studio (Everyday Expressions); blank card is from Halcraft; cardstock is Stampin' Up (River Rock); ink is Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate) and Versamark; stickers are Martha Stewart (sunflower); twine is Papertrey Ink (Rustic Jute); embossing powder is Stampendous (detail clear); also used Stampin' Up Sizzlets Lots of Tags Label 1.

Well, I think I'm spent for the day. It's probably time for another nap and some DVRed TV.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your continued interest in me and my random thoughts. I'm not able to respond back very often, but I truly love hearing from you and consider all of you friends. Thanks for visiting! Hugs to you. :)

Faithful in Prayer

Hel-l-o-o-o-o, world! It is Wednesday, September 21, and this is Janelle posting. Really and truly. It's me! Hallelujah and Praise the Lord!

And that's the good news. I guess if there is bad news it's that they had to up my steroids to get me to this point, but Ken asked about that today while I was getting my treatment and our nurse said that we shouldn't be concerned about that. Some people are on a higher dose the whole time and others aren't. Everyone is different. Now, of course, they want you on the lowest dose possible (which, I suppose, would be nothing at all), but I was beginning to feel like a failure because my body wouldn't let me continue to decrease the dosage without doing wacky things like sleep all day or get incoherent. Now — I'd rather sleep all day than be a babbling idiot, but both are pretty concerning... so I'm glad that I don't have to feel like a failure for requiring a higher dose of steroids.

And, I'm really excited about today's scripture. I've always liked this Bible story about Hezekiah, but — man! — right now I love it. And I'm claiming it for me. And I'm so glad that I came back to life on just the right day to have this as part of my scripture reading. I don't believe in coincidences, so I'm sure this was all orchestrated just for me. :)

It's long, but I don't think you'll want to miss a single word. Read and enjoy!

Isaiah 38:1-4, 9-20

"About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: 'This is what the Lord says: "Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness."'

"When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 'Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.' Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

"Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord. Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.'....

"When Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:

"I said, 'In the prime of my life, must I now enter the place of the dead? Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?' I said, 'Never again will I live to see the Lord God while still in the land of the living. Never again will I see my friends or be with those who live in this world. My life has been blown away like a shepherd's tent in a storm. It has been cut short, as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom. Suddenly, my life was over. I waited patiently all night, but I was torn apart as though by lions. Suddenly, my life was over. Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane, and then I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help. I am trouble, Lord. Help me!'

"But what could I say? For he himself sent this sickness. Now I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt. Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live! Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins. For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness. Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next. Think of it — the Lord is ready to heal me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the Lord."

Now — isn't that fabulous and inspiring and doesn't it just make you want to jump up and down? :) Well, that's kind of how it makes me feel.

I do believe that the Lord wants to honor our prayers for healing. I also believe that He has something to teach us through all of this. And I believe that there is a specific response that is required of me. I'm praying that exactly what that response is will become clear. Maybe you can pray along with me that whatever my "mission" is will become crystal clear and focused as we move forward through these coming days. And, you know, I so appreciate your prayers!! 

 

Well, how about a little crafty inspiration now?

I must say, I didn't really know how many wonderful friends I have and how many people care about me. And I feel like a bit of a schmuck because people are way nicer to me than I think I ever have been to them. The Papertrey Ink sets I used to create this card just showed up in my mailbox one day (along with a pack of my favorite white cardstock) and were sent by the mother of one of the boys in my very first preschool class (who also happened to live around the corner from us when he was four — he's now a junior in college!). She also dropped by the house with some very delicious and rich chocolate pie and biscotti made from her Italian grandmother's recipe. Totally unexpected. Completely appreciated. Thank you, Mary (and Natalie)! I love you back!  

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I know that so many of you are faithfully praying for me and my family. I cannot tell you how appreciated that is. Prayer changes the course of events that have already been set in motion. So — just because I have an inoperable brain tumor, I don't feel hopeless or like all is lost. God is in control of all circumstances surrounding my life and I trust Him to work it all out for good.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Simple Sunflower, Beautiful Blessings); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White) and Stampin' Up (Daffodil Delight); ink is PTI (True Black) and SU (So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip). 

On a completely unimportant topic... what TV shows are you watching these days? We love Parenthood and watched the second episode of the season last night. Well, I listened to it as I was trying to go to sleep, but I'll watch it for real this afternoon — gotta love the DVR. And, we truly need our DVR because we really watch too much TV and some of our shows are on at the same time. Shows that both Ken & I watch include Survivor, Law & Order SVU, Criminal Minds, and all the CSIs (New York, Miami, and the original). I like Dancing with the Stars and The Sing-Off — and so does my mom so we watched those this week. I've probably forgotten some. Like I said, we watch too much TV. :)

Thank you so, so much for stopping by here today. I really, really appreciate your visits, your prayers, and that you keep dropping by even when I don't consistently respond to your comments or comment back on your Facebook posts or visit your blogs. I'm so thankful for each and every one of you and send you big ol' hugs today! Love to you!!