Show and Tell

Life & Healing... and... You've Been So Kind

Today is Tuesday, January 24. So far today I've been to work and to Curves. And I've read a couple chapters in a book that had been recommended to me several times. Have you read "The Hunger Games"? That is what I'm reading and it's the first book that I've read in a long, long time. And since it's a trilogy, I will probably need to read the other two also. I wasn't sure that I could sustain attention long enough to read a book, but it hasn't been as hard as I thought. I'm much slower at reading than I used to be, but I think I'm retaining the story pretty well and that's encouraging. (If you've read the book, don't give anything away... I still have about 100 pages to go. :)  )

I told you yesterday that we went to the beach last weekend. We had hoped to visit with some friends (Sheila and Jimmy) while we were there. They used to live near us, but call Wilmington, NC home now. Unfortunately, they were going to be out of town for the weekend, so we'll have to catch them next time.

But, I wanted to show you a sweet present that I got from Sheila around Christmastime.

... this sweet pewter shell-shaped dish that was filled with real seashells. Shells Sheila wrote that she had picked up on the beach as she was praying for me. How sweet is that? What an incredibly thoughtful and meaningful gift.

I placed the dish full of shells on the bookcases in the living room... in front of the oil painting that we had one of our former preschool dads paint of our two children. My Oregon friends might recognize the coastline in the painting. It would be nice if my memory was working well, but it's somewhere around Newport, I believe. Maybe closer to Depot Bay. Anyway, I gave the artist several photos to work from: pictures of the Oregon coastline, of the clothes I wanted the kids to be wearing, and of our kids when Britt was about 5, I think, and Ian, 3 (although, when the picture was painted they were teenagers). The actual photo that he painted the kids from was taken in Florida. They were wearing swimming suits and looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. I think Greg did a great job melding all those photos together to make a painting that turned out even better than I could've hoped for. It is definitely one of my prized possessions. (If you're interested, you can learn more about Greg and contact him here. He's fabulous!)  

 

 

Here is the scripture I chose for today.

Proverbs 4:20-22

"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body."

OK, I know. More verses talking about healing. I can't help it. It's kind of a big theme for me right now.

When I was in the hospital nearly 6 months ago, I wished that I had spent more time memorizing Bible passages. I would've liked to have been able to comfort myself with the Word of God. It seems like all of the verses I know are attached to songs... which is good, but I'd really like to commit some entire passages to memory. Maybe my mind is working well enough now to do that. I'm sure it'll be slow-going, but I think I'm up for the challenge. :) What verses or passages are particularly meaningful to you? 

 

 

In my quest to use all the patterned paper that I can't seem to stop buying, I came up with this thank you card. Basically patterned paper, a stamp, and embossing powder — with a bit of ribbon for good measure. (This paper, like what I used yesterday, was purchased from Emma's Paperie — my favorite online paper source.)

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I really like the look of embossing powder, but I don't use it often. It's just too messy. But this Zing embossing powder did really well. It didn't scatter all over and it didn't leave a lot of extra specks. So — maybe my problem was that I was using old and/or cheap embossing powder. I think I may have to throw out most of what I have and get some new. And that'll be kinda fun, I think.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (a big thank you); cardstock is PTI (Vintage Cream); patterned paper is Sassafras Lass (sweetly smitten: floral fields); ink is Versamark; embossing powder is Zing (aqua); ribbon is PTI (1/4" white silk).

Tomorrow is another treatment day so I'll appreciate your prayers. Well, I always appreciate your prayers... they just seem so necessary sometimes. The last couple times the chemo has pretty well wiped me out — and if that's important to getting better, well, bring it on. But I'm pretty much a wimp so if the results are the same, I prefer the easy, "feel good" route. :)

That is enough for now. Thank you so much for stopping by and for listening to my ramblings. I really appreciate you — and your prayers! Sending you big, big hugs!

The Lord has heard... and... treat yourself

Today is Friday, January 6. And I worked every day, all day, this week. Pretty cool, huh. Of course, you have to remember that our day is a part time day... but, still, I think that's pretty good!

After we got home, Ken and I took a mile walk around the neighborhood. We'll probably do it again pretty soon (probably before I finish this post). It's such a beautiful day here today. Hard to believe that at the beginning of the week I was trying to figure out if my coat would fit me because the high temperature was in the 30's. Today I think it's in the 60's... just about perfect in my book. And bright sunshiny blue skies... this is the reason we love living in North Carolina. :)

I've been wanting to show you this:

I don't know if you can read it or not, but this is a plaque that Ken had made for one of his golf buddies who got a hole-in-one while they were playing before Christmas. Ken said that all four of them who were playing saw the ball disappear into the hole and started screaming and jumping up and down and hugging each other. Makes me smile just thinking of what that must've looked and sounded like. :) I'm so happy for Bob. He's a great guy who has been a great friend to us. He's the one who made sure our leaves were blown and discarded back in November. Like I said, a great guy! (Congratulations, Bob!!)

 

I debated several different verses to use as the psalm for the day, and finally decided on this one.

Psalm 6:9

"The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer."

If you have time, you might want to get out your Bible and read all of Psalm 6. It's not very long... just ten verses. It is one of David's psalms and is one of those where he is so honest about how distraught he is feeling and where he pleads with the Lord for compassion and rescue. I can relate. And I bet you can, too. Even if you don't have a brain tumor. Because I'm learning that just about everybody has something. Something that is unpleasant. Something that is not easy. Something that is painful. Something...

And, we all need some rescuing. I'm so happy that I know the Lord. That He hears my pleas. That He answers my prayers. That He rescues me. And that He'll do that for You, too. 

 

Remember all the gift card holders that I made at Christmastime? Why not continue the gift card extravaganza into the rest of the year, too. Because, I don't know about you, but I give gift cards A LOT! 

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For this project, I made general use gift card holders out of patterned paper. Well, they're rather drink card specific because of the tags I tied around them, but I really like the way they look. And it seems like I'm giving Starbucks cards away almost everytime I turn around, so — even though I've already given two of these away — I do still have two left. Glad I decided to make several cards while I had all my supplies out. :) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Sip and Savor); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); patterned paper is American Crafts (Celebration: Pinata, Peachy Keen:  Easy as Pie, Hello Sunshine: Brilliance and Splendor); ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black) and Stampin' Up (Melon Mambo); baker's twine is from The Twinery (Lemondrop, Cappuccino, Caribbean); also used several PTI dies (Gift Card Greetings, Double-Ended Banners, Tiny Tags).

That is all for today. We did take two walks... and I'm hoping that one of these days the fact that I'm watching what I eat and walking a couple of miles most days will start to show up and maybe the extra weight and inches will begin melting off. Sigh. Such a long road. But... I'm feeling good and pretty strong, and that's the most important thing.

Thank you so much for spending time here with me. I really appreciate your visit and your comments — and all the love you send our way. Let's talk again soon! Love to you from us. :)  

Give Praise to the Lord... and... Wine Bottle Tags

Today is Thursday, December 29. It's been kind of a blah day for me, so far. Which has kind of taken me by surprise because the last two days have really been pretty good. I've been in good spirits and felt mostly good. Today I've been tired and just a little crabby. I probably need to get out for a walk. That has helped in the past. 

Well, let's change the subject... Back in early December my sister-in-law Kris came to visit. We had a fabulous time together and a highlight was when we were invited to my friend Sara Gwynn's house for dinner. Sara Gwynn and Kristine had formed a strong bond earlier when Kris was seeking a way to get some champagne cupcakes from her home in California to our home in North Carolina. (The story is in the post here.)

It's about time that I posted some pictures of our time together, isn't it? Here is one of Sara Gwynn, Kris, and myself.

You can really see how tubby I've gotten to be. I'm gonna figure out how to work on that in the new year! 

Here's another photo of the three of us, but this time Sara Gwynn's husband, Doug, was included.

And, I need to post this one, too, so you can see that Ken was also with us. :)

And here's one of the reasons that I can't seem to lose weight...

Yep. I know way too many good bakers. :) (But, thanks, Sara Gwynn! We all had a fabulous time!) And, I'm so blessed with so many great friends!

 

Here is some scripture for today.

Psalm 148:1-2

"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!"

I have not really been having a very good day, as I mentioned above. But verses like this really help me to change my focus. It's easy for me to just think about me, me, me... and about my unfortunate lot in life (I say that with a bit of a smile...). But taking my focus off of me and praising the Lord instead, well, that makes a huge difference. He is to be praised. Afterall, He is the Lord who created the heavens and the earth... yet He still cares for little old me. What a wonderful thing that is! It's not a day to mope around and feel sorry for myself... it is a day to celebrate life and the God of creation! Won't you join me in the celebration? 

 

Well, let's switch gears from the gazillion Christmas gift card holders I've been posting and get to another type of gift. How about a way to dress up wine bottle gifts for the holidays? 

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Once again, I made two of this item. Since the patterned paper is two-sided, I cut one from each side... making tags that coordinated with each other. Which was especially nice since we were taking both bottles to our neighbor's house on Christmas Eve. 

(Take a good look at those snowman faces. Does it look to you like they've been imbibing a little? Their smiles are just a little too goofy. :) Didn't think of that until just now, but it is a little funny, don't you think? I know... it doesn't take a whole lot to amuse me!) 

 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Banner Builder, Fillable Frames #8, Tag-its #8); cardstock is PTI (Vintage Cream); patterned paper is Basic Grey (Jovial: button nose); ink is SU (Pure Poppy) and Memento (Tuxedo Black); marker is SU (Basic Black); baker's twine is The Twinery (Mandarin); also used PTI dies (Double-Ended Banners, Wine Bottle Tag, Tag Sale #5).

Well, it looks like I may be finishing my post early again today. Yay for me! I've already been on one walk this afternoon, but since I'm posting early I think I'll be able to get another one in before it gets too cold and dark.

Thank you so very much for stopping by to visit with me... and for listening to my daily ups and downs. (I should probably say "my momentary ups and downs" because the downs are really pretty fleeting...) This is an interesting journey that I'm on and I'm so thankful that I have people who are willing to share it with me. So... I'm sending you big hugs of thanks and bushels of love!   

Artful Elegance

Today is Friday, November 11. Since it is Veteran's Day and the public schools were out, we got to see many of our former students when the parents brought the little ones to school. That is always fun — to see how the kids are growing beyond their preschool years. And, of course, I love those hugs that I get from them, too!

My first big excitement of the day was that I wore my contacts for the first time since August 1. At least, it was exciting until I got to work and found that when I tried to read I couldn't decipher a single thing due to, I suppose, a change in the bifocal portion of my vision prescription. Kind of up a damper on my ability to get things done! haha! Still, I did what I could and ended up being there until noon or so again. So, praise the Lord!, I was able to get to work all five days this week! For next week, the plan is to be there on Monday and then on Tuesday I have my second chemo session at the infusion center. Hopefully, it will go as well as the first and I'll be back to work at least by the end of the week.  

As I was going through some photos on my phone, I realized that I didn't post any of my now five year old neighbor's family birthday celebration that took place way back in early October. We have the very best next door neighbors and they are always so good about including us in their family events. Gosh, we love that family! Anyway, here are two of the party-ers...

big sister Chloe and little brother Hayden... eagerly awaiting the presents and the cake. (Must've been "hat day"... :) )

And, here's the birthday girl, Nora Grace, sporting her birthday crown from school.

Cute cake that my neighbors made, isn't it? Perfect for the mermaid lovin' birthday girl!

But, I really, really love this picture...

Maybe I should get a pink wig, too. I think it really makes a great statement on Nora! :)

 

Here is a bit of scripture for you today.

Psalm 109:21

"But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good."

I'm so fortunate. The Lord has been extraordinarily good to me and I pray that you have seen that, too. I pray that through my situation His reputation has only been enhanced and magnified in your life. He is so faithful and so good! 

 

Hope you're not tired of bookmarks yet, because here are a couple more.

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Two more little tokens for the kind folk who are making sure we're well-fed. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Artful Elegance, Psalm 46:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Baja Breeze, Lovely Lilac, Elegant Eggplant) and PTI (True Black); also used an SU die (Two Tags).

That's about it for today. However, I do have one more bit of "excitement". As I was writing this post I decided to take a little break to go for a walk and I made it all the way to the end of our street and back. Ken tells me that's about four-tenths of a mile. Woohoo for me! 

And here is how our street is looking today.

I just love the colors of autumn. When I was younger, spring was my favorite season and I loved all the pinks and purples of the flowering trees. As I've gotten older, though, I find myself much more inspired by the oranges, yellows, and reds of the fall. I've seen some really pretty trees as we've driven to work and back this week, but didn't think to take pictures... so this may be my one and only fall leaves photo of the year. Not the most vibrant colors and not the best trees I've seen, but still a memento of Autumn 2011.

Hope you have had a fabulous week and that your weekend is looking to be full of fun. Our pastor's daughter is getting married tomorrow and we're looking forward to helping them celebrate the blessed event, so that's what we'll be doing in the early afternoon. What about you? Do you have great weekend plans? Let me know... I'm always up for a vicarious experience. :) And thanks so much for stopping by for a visit with me... I do so enjoy your company and am sending big hugs your way! 

Coming Boldly Before the Throne... and...Three Bookmarks

Today is Wednesday, November 2. Today my mom went home after being with us for six weeks. Well, she's in the process of getting home. It's a long trip from one side of the U.S. to the other. It was so good for us to have her here — but I'm sure not very fun or exciting for her. I haven't exactly been a lot of fun to be around between napping, blogging, various treatments, and doctor appointments. But I think it was good for her to see that Ken takes such good care of me and that we are also being incredibly well cared for by our network of friends. However, after six weeks... we'll miss her!

Of course, we had to get a photo before she left...

 Such a pretty, youthful-looking, 80 year old, don't you think?

I think Ken posted a similar photo to this next one yesterday, but in case you missed it...

this is what we woke up to yesterday morning. It was our first day of infused chemotherapy and so encouraging to see the silver-gray bows paying tribute to brain tumor awareness and our new leg of the journey with this disease. Every house on our street was adorned with bows and we definitely feel loved and supported and prayed for. (Hugs to everyone!!!!!)

As far as how I'm feeling today... not too bad. After we arrived home from the airport, I was pretty exhaused and slept for an hour or so. Then I decided that I wasn't done sleeping and slept for another couple of hours. Now I think I'm good for the rest of the day, so it's time to make contact with you! :)

 

The scripture that I chose from my Bible reading today is from the New Testament.

Hebrews 4:16

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help when we need it most."

I'm so thankful that I have a Saviour who allows me to come before Him with my concerns and my needs — of which I seem to have many right now! He is merciful and, even though I don't deserve it, He gives me His love and grace. And that is something to be truly thankful for!

 

I know I've shown you some cards that I made to thank the people who have been providing meals for us, but we have so many people who have provided meals more than once that it seemed like a good idea to do something different for them. After all, how many thank you cards do you need? So, I came up with the idea of scripture bookmarks using a Stampin' Up tag die. Hopefully, the bookmarks will be meaninful to them (and hopefully I can keep up with the demand!). 

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Here are all three of the bookmarks first bookmarks that I made together. I don't know that this Stampin' Up die is supposed to be a bookmark, but that's what it looks like to me so that's what it I'm using it as today. Hope you don't get tired of these little bookmarks because you're proabably going to be seeing a lot of them — and they'll all look about the same, too. But, well, at least it's something to post! 

The back of each bookmark looks like this. One time when I placed a Verve order there was this nice little complimentary thank you stamp in it. It seemed like the perfect addition to the back of the bookmarks. (The key will be remembering to do it each time since I anticipate that we'll be handing out many of the bookmarks. People have been so kind to us!)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Psalm 31:24, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 3:3, Leaves Plain Jane, Elegant Flower Plain Jane, Medallion Plain Jane); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Early Espresso); also used SU die (Two Tags).

Well, that's about it for today. I thought I'd leave you with a photo of our front door on Halloween — before the festivities began. Maybe I'll get around to posting some pictures from the evening later this week. Maybe tomorrow. Who knows? :)

 Thank you so very much for stopping by for a virtual visit. I love hearing from all of you, my dear friends and prayer warriors. I'm sending you big hugs!

Producing Good Fruit... and... Happy Birthday, Nora Grace!

Today is Tuesday, October 4. The most special thing about today is that it is the 5th birthday of our next door neighbor, Nora Grace. But we'll get to that later in the crafty portion of the post.

For now, let's see... the steroid reduction has been OK. Nothing like a few weeks ago when I got all loopy. So, that's good. Wouldn't it be great to get completely off of them? I haven't asked if that's even a possibility at this point, but just that they can decrease the dose without losing me into some other world... well, I take that as a good sign.

I can't really think of anything else on the medical front. I still nap for about an hour each morning and that seems to do me for the day. Today during radiation they also took x-rays. I'm assuming that we may hear something about that tomorrow. But, as I've told you before, I really suffer from a deplorable lack of curiosity so if they don't offer any information I probably won't even think to ask. I know. I'm a little odd. :)

 

Let's look to the New Testament for some scriptural inspiration today.

Colossians 1:9b-10

"We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better."

My desire is always to honor and please God. I ask the Lord to give me wisdom and understanding. I certainly don't want anything I say or do to become a stumbling block for anyone, causing them to lose or question their faith. Or to question mine. I'm so happy that I live under a system of grace and mercy and forgiveness. That Jesus works in me to produce good fruit... meaning he helps me do things that honor Him. If you've been visiting with me awhile, you know this is a big theme of mine — just that I stay true to Christ and His message and don't stumble and lead others astray. 

So, I think the message in these verses is to stay connected to the Lord. Ask Him to give you spiritual knowledge and understanding. Listen to Him as He speaks to you through His Word and through others. Then you will grow in your faith because you will be gaining a better understanding of God and His ways. And as you grow and engage others, you will be producing all kinds of good things in your life and in theirs. And that's what your faith is all about. Learning. Growing. Sharing. Live your life to honor God and all of that will come naturally.

 

And now for a card. 

Today is our next door neighbor's fifth birthday. And, in my experience with five year olds, turning five is a big deal. Ask most new five year olds how old they are and they won't tell you... they'll show you. It's very cool to be a whole hand old. :)

So, today is Nora Grace's fifth birthday and, of course, that deserves a card just for her.

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Nora is very precocious, so this card is probably a little juvenile for her... but it was what I came up with, so I hope that at least the purple colors will inspire her. It seems to me that all five year old girls like purple and pink. :)

The premise of the card, though, is that it's a counting card. There are five of each image... all lined up... both on the front cover and inside the card, too. Then on the inside I also added the numeral because it's always good for a child to connect the counting with the symbol. There is also a size component, as the images go from small to large. I just can't help myself. Once a teacher, always a teacher I guess. (And, I feel like I have to say that I really dislike the way I stamped the raccoons on the inside, but what's done is done. Hopefully Nora won't mind.) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Furry Folk, Simple Sayings II); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is SU (Lovely Lilac, Rich Razzleberry, Marvelous Magenta, Orchid Opulence, Mauve Mist, Perfect Plum); also used SU's Lovely Lilac marker and PTI's By the Numbers die. 

So, Nora Grace — Have a Happy, Happy Birthday! We love you and will be over with a present very soon. :)

And, to everyone else, thank you so much for stopping by and visiting with me today — some of you for the second time! I really appreciate your comments, your visits, your love, prayers, and support. You are special to me and I'm sending you great big hugs!

My Refuge... and... An Ever-Present Help

Today is Sunday, September 18. And, after sleeping September 17th away, I'm back in the land of the living. I've wondered a bit about why that happens. Did I let myself get overly tired by not taking enough naps or by taking too many little trips during the day or is it maybe some sort of biological reaction to the medication or something like that? Well, I don't much care for sleeping an entire day away and I know that it worries the people who are here with me — so I'd sure like to keep it from happening again, if possible!

Today seems much better so far. We went to church this morning and that was great. It was our church's 16th anniversary, so it was very celebratory of the work God has done and is and doing in the life of our church. I just loved being there. But then again, I always love being there. :)

Of course, we also watched the Panthers game on TV. It was the first home game, but the thought of driving to the stadium, walking the maybe 6 or 7 blocks from our parking space just to get into the stadium, and then walking to our seats — well, just thinking about it is exhausting. So, since Britt was in town, she and her friend, Ruth, used the tickets.

I think they had fun. :) They also followed the Ken Hayes plan — leaving the house nice and early, going straight to the stadium, buying a hot dog and beverage, and getting in their seats for all the pregame stuff. Such good girls. :)

 

Our scripture for the day is from the Psalms.

Psalm 62:5-8

"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour our your heart to him, for God is our refuge."

Even when I have a day where I'm really out of it — like yesterday — I know that God is my hope. And my fortress. And my salvation. And, although it may not be consciously in my mind — because it really feels like nothing is in my mind at those times — I think have laid the groundwork to feel at peace and to not be afraid even when things are a little rocky in my life. Having the Lord as my place of refuge is such a comfort. He gives me strength and that gets me through the tough days. And I'm so grateful for that!

 

In the same vein, here is today's card.

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Just a little one-layer card — maybe my favorite kind to make.  

To add a little extra interest, I used water on a watercolor brush to pull some of the ink from the bigger flowers into the design. The easiest watercoloring I ever did. :) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Because of You, Psalm 46:1); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Riding Hood Red) and Memento (Tuxedo Black); also used a Corner Chomper.

And, once again, I'm moving like a slug and posting later than I want to. Maybe one day I'll get a handle on how time works... :)

Thank you so much for stopping by here today. I haven't read any of the comments left since Ken posted yet, but I really appreciate all the time you devote to keeping up with me and what's going on in my little life. And I'm so thankful for your prayers, too. Very, very thankful for the prayers! Once again, I plan to be back tomorrow... but it's going to be a busy day -- radiation in the morning and a dental visit in the afternoon. Gosh — what a busy life! :) Hope to see you again tomorrow! 

Don't Live in Dread... and... Cupcake Birthday

Today is Sunday, September 11, 2011. The 10 year anniversary of 9/11. Did anyone else see the beginning of the Bears-Falcons game? Wow. The guy that sang the national anthem really attacked it and, I for one, loved it! Well, I'm assuming the crowd did, too, because they cheered for the entire song... beginning to end. Beautiful stuff for a patriotic football fan! :)

I felt pretty great upon waking up this morning — always an encouraging sign. Five minutes from right now (which will be 2:00) I take the first reduced dosage steroid pill of this reduction go-round... and I'm pretty optimistic that this will be OK. At least, I'm trying to be. Our son is also flying home from his three weeks in Tennessee this afternoon, so that's exciting. I'm thinking that going to the airport with Ken to pick Ian up will be a good thing and a distraction for me — to keep me from thinking about what may or may not be happening in my head. So I'll do that, too. And, then, at 4:15 the Panthers football game is on. We will, of course, be glued to the TV for that. :) So — with all that activity, I'm hoping that this step-down in dosage goes without a hitch. (I'm sure I'll be giving you an update later down in the post — as there's no way that I'll be getting this done in the next 10 minutes before we leave to pick up the boy!)

 Here's some scripture for today. It is still — even after years of reading through a daily Bible — amazing to me how often scripture that is so, so appropriate for the day comes up. From the Old Testament for this time:

Isaiah 8:11-14a

"The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, 'Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heaven's Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe....'"

Now — isn't that an encouragement for the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11? I mean... we don't have to live in fear and dread. We don't even have to think of the attacks as a conspiracy. Instead, we simply trust the Lord... make Him holy in our lives... fear (respect) Him. He is the One who keeps us safe! Sure — our world is a scary place. Bad stuff happens and there are people who have no regard for the lives of others. But, as one of our pastors pointed out this morning, Paul (in the Bible) started out as Saul who was persecuting and killing Christians. He ended up a foundational leader in the Church. So — we shouldn't count anyone out or give up on anyone. We are to love people to Jesus. And love is what will win them over. That's something to think about today, isn't it?

 

Moving on... 

It's time for a special birthday card now. This one is for a young woman that we refer to as our "adopted daughter". We met met Brittany during her senior year of college — 2005-2006 — but didn't really begin to become acquainted with her until she took the plunge and moved to Charlotte after graduation. It's a pretty cool story, we think, but probably too long to go into here. Suffice it to say, that the Lord definitely brought us together and has since knitted our families together — and it's been a beautiful thing!

So — today is Brittany's birthday... and here is her card.

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Adding a bit of colored cardstock to the inside seems to be working for me these days. Putting it on a nice shape adds even more interest. So to the right you can see the inside of Brittany's card.

I really, really wanted to buy a fancy cupcake to give to her, too, but with stamp club yesterday and then going out to dinner with her family, well — she "only" got a VISA gift card. Maybe she was happy to forego the calories for some shopping cash. :)

So — here is a picture of our dinner group.

You have Ken, me, Krista (Brittany's mom), Brittany the birthday girl, Sarah (Brittany's good friend who flew in for the occasion), and Mike (Brittany's dad). We had dinner at The King's Kitchen... a restaurant with a higher calling: the profits feed the poor in Charlotte and around the world and the restaurant provides employment for people who need a new start. Very cool concept — and the food is delicious. If you're near Charlotte and haven't been, I highly recommend it (and the fried chicken... :) ).

And here Ken & I are with the birthday girl...

You can't really tell that I have a pretty large bald spot, can you? Maybe I've perfected the come-over. :) But, I don't plan to rely on it... I think I'll start using the scarves, the wig, and hats... or just exposing my scalp, because I can be a bit lazy... 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Crazy for Cupcakes, Create a Cupcake); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White) and SU (Pink Pirouette); patterned paper from my very old stash; ink is SU (Pink Pirouette, Barely Banana) and PTI (True Black); also used a PTI die (Double-ended Banner) and an SU embossing folder (Square Latice), die (Lots of Tags Labels 1), and punches (Scallop Edge, Cupcake).

I mentioned that we were heading to the airport to pick up our son...

well... he arrived! I think that he's thrilled to be home after being gone for three weeks — but exhausted, too. We took him straight to his apartment and I supposed he's already asleep. He's definitely my child for whom sleep — and lots of it — is very important! 

Today I also thought it would be a good idea to start covering my bald patch with something besides a come-over when I go out.

This was today's look. Not too bad, I guess. But I think I may need to start wearing my contacts again because having my glasses squished against the side of my head is definitely not comfortable. By the time our football game came on I decided to just go with the bald patch. I don't think Ken or Roxy the dog cared. :)

And maybe that's enough information for today. It's after 6:00 now and so far so good with the steroid reduction. I know there are still many more hours to go, but I feel good so — yay and thank you, Lord! And thanks to you for all the prayers! (And please continue...)

Have a great rest of your day and I plan to be back here again tomorrow... so I'll "see" you then. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit — I appreciate it so much!

Loads of Love

Today is Friday. It is September 8. And it's been a busy day. (Edited to say... must've been a brain tumor moment... it was Friday... but it was September 9...)

Radiation at 9:00. Home for a nap and to try to get my Bible reading done. Go to work. (I didn't tell you that I've been going to work for a little bit most days this week, did I?) Lunch with a friend. Finally, I'm back home (it's nearly 2:00 now) but I have a visitor coming over soon, so who knows how long it will take me to get this posted today.

In more good news, I feel pretty normal today. So stepping off the steroids seems to be going well thus far. I'm just 10 minutes away from my next dose, too, and I'm not feeling all anxious and crazy yet. I'll take that as a very good sign that the step down in the dosage is going well. And I pray that continues as we step down again Sunday night.

Then on the hair front, the hair around my scar (which is the area receiving the radiation — kind of between the back of my head and the front of my head slightly to my left side) has started to fall out in chunks. Well, chunks is a strong word. I don't have great hair in the first place... it's fine and it's thin. So, I guess instead of chunks I should say that lots of strands are coming out at a time. But the doctor says that it's only going to fall out in that area —  so we'll see how it looks and make a decision... bald patch? Wig? Scarf? I can see me doing all three (no... not at once!). And the wig and scarves mainly because I hate wasting money. If I buy it I use it... I wear it... or whatever —  just because I spent money on it. So, that Janelle with brown hair photo may be posted in the coming days. We'll see. :)

I have so much that I want to share today... and it's already 2:00 (well, now after 6!). Yikes. The day has gotten away from me! :)

Let's turn to God's Word. I've gotta tell you... it's not often that I read through whatever the scripture for the day is in my Bible and think... huh? Where's my bit of inspiration? Where's my feel good moment? Where's my encouragement? Today has been one of those days. But... here's where I landed.

Isaiah 3:10-11

"Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! But the wicked are doomed, for they get exactly what they deserve."

So — I guess my first question would be... what does it mean by "godly"? It certainly can't mean perfect, because we all know that no one is perfect, right? I'm thinking that godly may just mean those who keep God at the center of their life — and that when things get out-of-whack and off-center... well, they seek to right them by getting back into the Word... by praying... by seeking God.

Then — what does "be well with them" mean? Does it mean that life will be wonderful for them (or, as I said yesterday, bubblegum and roses)? No, I don't think so. Of course, we would all like that, but that's just not reality, is it? The way I look at life is that for the Christian, life ends well... even if, from an earthly perspective, it ends tragically. And when life ends well, you enjoy the rich reward of living eternally in Heaven. What could be better than that?!?

The flip side? Not so encouraging. It says the wicked are doomed. So — not wanting to be doomed, I'll keep endeavoring to have Jesus at the center of my life. I'll keep reading my Bible, asking for insights, praying, and all that stuff. I've always been more into rewards anyway. :) How about you?

 

Now I want to honor a very special person. Today was our mail carrier's last day on our route. To most of you that may sound like no big deal — but we've had the same mailman since soon after we moved into our house in 1987. And we love Robert. His kids are about the same age as ours, so we've always had lots in common. Add in the fact that he's a strong Christian, friendly, kind, and that he's praying for our situation (gotta add that in, you know... :) )... well, we are going to miss him incredibly.

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Since I didn't have any room on the front to put a sentiment I did what is probably the normal thing... I put it on the inside. :)

And that is definitely what we are sending to Robert... loads of love! He has really been a huge part of our life — bringing us lots of fun mail (well, bills, too, but life can't be all "bubblegum and roses" :) ), and lots of smiles and encouragement, too. When our children were small and our street was just being developed, as soon as we saw Robert's truck coming down the street, one of the kids would pop open the refrigerator and grab out a Diet Coke to swap for the mail. And Robert would kindly thank them and, many times, pop it open and take a swig. He's a special guy and we wish him much success with his new route and new customers. Thanks for all the years of love you gave us, Robert! We sure do love you back! 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories, Loads of Fun, Tailgating Wheel); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), SU (Apricot Appeal), and Creative Memories (Metallic Silver); patterned paper from my stash; ink is SU (Only Orange) and PTI (True Black); baker's twine is Divine Twine (Lemon); also used a SU punch (Scallop Trim Border) and die (Lots of Tags Label 3). 

Even though it's getting late, I'm going to extend this post a bit... because I've been wanting to share another of the really sweet things that has been given to me recently.

My friend Kristine created this special box of reminders, scripture, encouragement... well, just fun stuff. I thought you might enjoy seeing it — and maybe want to piggyback off her idea to encourage someone you know. Everyone needs encouragement now and then!

Inside is just a bunch of stuff... the bright red feathers add a nice feeling of texture.

I don't know if you can read the things she has included, but there's inspirational quotes from books, scripture, and just words of encouragement.

It was so fun to see how Kristine tied in Bible verses with little do-dads like old photos and Barbie shoes. :) I mean... don't Barbie shoes just make you smile? (Unless you're stepping on the pointy heel one that is hiding on your floor, of course... :) ) Anyway, thought it was a cute idea that you may want to piggyback off of and put your unique spin on. Because I know that you can be creative this way, too. :) (Kristine also organized a prayer chain, took pictures of our students on the first day of school, used the computer to make little notes that the kids — well, their parents — could fill in specifics on, and probably a whole gob of stuff that I'm not aware of, too. So — thanks for everything Kristine... sure do love and appreciate you!)

And, really, that's probably more than enough for tonight. Sorry you had to wait so long for the post to be finished today. Hope it was worth waiting for. :) You are very special to me and I truly appreciate the time you spend here and the insights that you share with me. Thanks for being so great! Sending you hugs...

thank you for your kindness

Today is Friday. August 19. And I'm tired. I slept really, really well last night — I don't think I woke up at all from about 10:30 until 5-ish. And that's pretty good. But now it's 7:15 a.m. and I'm feeling exhausted. I think that Roxy the dog will be sharing the couch with me in a little bit. :)

How about some of this morning's scripture reading?

Psalm 36:5-10

"Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own home, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.

"Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts."

And, sorry, but I have no special insights from me today. Just letting the love of God wash over me as I mentally grapple with this situation. Well, mentally grapple is way too strong an imagery for my thought processes. Actually, I don't know if my mind is capable of grappling with anything right now. So — I guess I'm just trying to let God's unfailing love permeate my thoughts and "feelings". Because no matter what the situation is, His love never changes and it never, ever fails.

I almost forgot... here are a couple more songs for today: 

Download 06 In Christ Alone

Download 13 Because of Who You Are (Remix)

Hope you enjoy and let them wash over your soul. :)

 

 

Moving on... 

I've always been pretty good at making cards — but not so good at sending them. Pretty ashamed to admit that. Especially after receiving so many cards, handmade or not, that have truly lifted my spirits and comforted my family. How selfish that I have denied that blessing to others! 

Well, I thought I'd try to remedy that — but I guess once bad at mailing cards, always bad at mailing cards. (So please don't be holding your breath for yours to arrive in the mail... instead know that I love you and am thinking of you, but probably don't have the energy right now to write a card to you... sorry...) However, I have sporadically written a card here and there over the last couple weeks — and this one is right now winging its way to the Quilt Ministry of Gladeville Baptist Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee... my blog friend Kelley's church that sent a beautiful handmade quilt. 

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I don't know that I can adequately express how it feels to receive mail of any variety in a situation like this. Every card and every note is like a huge hug and a salve for my heart — and for those who love me, too. So — if you are a cardmaker or just a card-sender, keep it up (I'm not talking about sending me cards... I mean keep sending them out to others). It has just such a huge impact. And if you are kinda like me and think... oh, that would be nice... I'll do that later... I don't know what to say... I don't have time to sit down and do that right now... or whatever your excuse is (those are some of mine)... set the excuses aside and just take action. You don't have to be eloquent... you don't have to "say the right thing"... just taking the time to say I'm thinking of you or I'm praying for you and then actually putting on a stamp and mailing the thing (or walking it to your neighbor's mailbox)... that means the world to someone else. There is no perfect at times like this — just faithful action. (Go do it!)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Array of Sunshine) and Papertrey Ink (Iconic Images); cardstock is PTI (Vintage Cream); patterned paper is PTI (Bitty Box Basics) and Bo Bunny (?); ink is SU (Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight); also used items from my stash (purple button, self-adhesive pearls, and a ribbon scrap).

Here are a couple more pictures of wedding related things. Remember that I showed you photos of how Kenneth's family had gussied up the restrooms at the reception site? At the time, I didn't have photos of the doors — and you really need to see this. (Thanks, Ruth, for sharing your photos with me!)

That is Britt...

and this one is Kenneth. Britt cut silhouettes of each of them to be framed for the restroom doors. What a great personal touch, don't you think? (And, they actually look like them, too!)

She also had a poster created to act as a guest registry —

I think the plan is to have it framed to hang in their new home.

Love those fun, personal touches that couples put into their weddings these days!

OK — now some brutally honest talk. Really — I'm one to brush things under the rug... and though it might seem as though I'm an out-going talk-about-anything kind of person, I'm really quite quiet and reserved in real-life. But, I want you to know what I've been telling my family today. Because you're kind of like an extended part of my family and you've been with me since this all began and I have so appreciated your love and support. 

Today I'm feeling weaker, probably in every way. And extremely tired. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I may have the energy to post tomorrow, or I may not. But — I have invited my mom to come back to be here with us and I've told my kids and Ken how I'm feeling. This is new territory for me so I can only go with my gut. And my gut says that people who love me need to be with me so, while I might prefer to be alone, I need to let those other people in. Really, very little — if any — of this is all about me. It has to be about God being glorified and His name being lifted up. He does not change — no matter how our circumstances change. Don't forget that!!! 

And — maybe I'll be back here tomorrow with something crafty. Or maybe someone in my family will hop on. I don't know. Just wanted to make sure that you know how much this relationship has meant to me and, while I'd like it to continue (and it may), I didn't want to go away without saying good-bye. Hope I'm not being melodramatic. :) And, maybe I'm not going away at all — I've never walked this road before so I'm not exactly sure what is happening. I hope to be here posting tomorrow... and the next day... and the next... And — I promise that if I am, I won't keep "saying good-bye". That would be ridiculous. :)

So — now that all that is out of the way (and I've given you another post that is probably way too long!), thanks for stopping for a little visit. You all are the best! Hugs to you! (And — probably I'm just being a little crazy so I'll "see" you tomorrow. Because, just so you know, giving up is not in my nature!)