For those interested: Scripture Through the Her2 Fight [Archive]

Paula O

11-16-2012, 04:41 AM

Breast cancer is rough stuff. It is sneaky and it doesn't fight fair. Even after treatment it can seem to linger in the shadows waiting for a reappearance, causing fear and uncertainty. Sometimes I have felt like the cancer is like an elusive "fertile cobra" loose in my house that I've been trying to cut up, poison, zap, infuse with Herceptin, and deprive of hormones. I'm not sure if it's gone for good or just wounded for a time, coiled up, hiding from the doctors and I awhile, waiting to slither out with a bunch of genetically mutated babies someday, and ready to strike again. How I'd like to permently evict the unwelcome intruder from this house of mine! Fear of the uncertain unknown can also poison one's mind and be a joy robber. God has much, much better for me than that.

We all have different ways of coping with difficulties. The Bible has been like a Love Letter from God to me and has been such a source of encouragement, hope, guidance, and comfort in my journeys through the ups and downs of life. This isn't about "religion" for me, it's about a relationship with God through the hardest time in my life which the last almost two years has been for me. I had my shockaroo mammogram December 30th, 2010.

This thread is for Bible verses that are uplifting through the storms and sunshine of the Her 2 Positive breast cancer fight. Sometimes I like to look up verses in different translations and versions (www.BibleGateway.com (http://www.biblegateway.com/)) to wrap my mind around them better which is what I did with Isaiah 41:10:

Isaiah 41:10

New Living Translation (NLT)

10 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 right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

New International Version (NIV)

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

(The Message)
Don’t panic. I’m with you.
There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

My take-away application a la Paula:
My soul can be at complete rest. I don't have to be scared, worried, or discouraged about all this cancer mess because my God is in control and He is with me. Because of this reality, I do not need to fear because He's my God and He's got my back (along with every other single angle of my entire being). Right now as well as through every future step in this journey through Cancer Land He is going to give me ALL the strength and help I need. He is cradling me in the Palm of His Hand, holding me close, snuggling me in His sweet love that never fails, lifting me up in His victory. Yes, I can rest in him.

hestko76

11-16-2012, 06:12 AM

Dear Paula,
Thank you so much for sharing your scriptures with me. As I am just about to finish my year long treatment saga with breast cancer, I found your message so uplifting. Thanks for sharing........
Helen

Mary Jo

11-16-2012, 09:58 AM

Hi Paula....What a great thread. I was also encouraged and strengthened through God's most beautiful word through my cancer journey and now beyond. Although I loved Him before cancer and felt we had a good relationship.....cancer gave me a whole new meaning into what life is really about. Here are a couple verses that spoke to me and continue too as I go through this "journey" called, life.

"For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." Romans 8:28

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one came to be." Psalm 139:16

............................the first verse was a daily, constant reminder that although things LOOKED bad....God can work good in any situation. Since my cancer journey, my life has changed in TONS of ways that are way better than my life before cancer. I can, in all honesty, say, that I wouldn't trade a day of what I've been through.

..................the second verse reminded me and continues to remind me that where I am is of no surprise to my creator. He knows me intimately (geez, even knows the number of hairs on my head "Matthew" or lack thereof :-) Whatever befalls me God knew and knows about and He will be with me throughout it all.

Thanks Paula.......Blessings and Peace.

Mary Jo

Redwolf8812

11-16-2012, 11:29 AM

This is nice. Cancer brought me back to the Catholic Church. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Jackie07

11-16-2012, 02:17 PM

On the wall in our living room is a beautifully framed print of Psalm 118:24 that my late Mother-in-law had given it to us more than 20 years ago: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Close by near the bed room door is a small frame I found in a garage sale: "For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' Jeremiah 29:11.

Directly facing the couch I sit most of the day is a page torn from a Chinese calendar: 'Be strong and with courage, do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your GOD will be with you wherever you go.' -Joshua 1:9

I remember back in the college days when I would just open the Bible randomly and point my finger to a verse before I study the whole chapter ... It's amazing how certain verses I had memorized back then would have such power in my healing process during 2 brain surgeries, 2 breast cancer surgeries and treatment, and a prophylactic hysterectomy/oo...

ps. Just read Flori's thread after posting these Bible verses. Sending you good vibes, SoCalGal!

Paula O

11-18-2012, 05:56 AM

Thanks for sharing these verses, ladies...wonderful words of life and hope.

Here's another that I love:

Proverbs 3:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Amplified Bible (AMP)

5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

5 With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
and not your own judgment.
6 Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
for you to follow.

Proverbs 3:5-12

The Message (MSG)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New King James Version (NKJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=pro%203:5-6&version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-16462a)] your paths.

Paula O

11-19-2012, 02:34 AM

Matthew 11:28-30

The Message (MSG)

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-29

New Living Translation (NLT)

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

28 If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. 29 Take the yoke[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:28-29&version=CEV#fen-CEV-21461a)] I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.
Matthew 11:28-29

Amplified Bible (AMP)

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. ease and relieve and [b (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:28-29&version=AMP#fen-AMP-23488b)]refresh [c (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:28-29&version=AMP#fen-AMP-23488c)]your souls.]
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ([d (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:28-29&version=AMP#fen-AMP-23489d)]relief and ease and refreshment and [e (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:28-29&version=AMP#fen-AMP-23489e)]recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29

New International Version (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

28 “Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Place my yoke[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:28-29&version=GW#fen-GW-23483a)] over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves

Matthew 11:28-29

New King James Version (NKJV)

28 Come to Me, all [I]you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Paula O

11-20-2012, 03:56 AM

Psalm 18:1-6

1 I love you, LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield[b (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2018:1-6&version=NIV#fen-NIV-14121b)] and the horn[c (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2018:1-6&version=NIV#fen-NIV-14121c)] of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
----------

Soon after I was diagnosed with breast cancer I memorized this passage because it expressed so much of how I was feeling. Do any of you guys memorize portions of the Bible to meditate on? Unlike my kiddos, I'm a terrible memorizer and have to slowly plug away at it as it doesn't come naturally but it's done me a world of good.

Paula

Paula O

11-22-2012, 04:20 AM

I am exhausted from crying for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes are swollen with weeping,
waiting for my God to help me.
Psalm 69;3

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Psalm 34;18

I weep with sorrow; encourage me by Your Word.
Ppsalm 119:28

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:19

Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have EVERYTHING I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the dark valley of death,[a]
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever

Paula
"The God of the universe has a special affinity for brokenhearted people, and His Words are the perfect compass for grievers. A magnetic compass always will point you to the North Pole, and God's Word always will point you to His unchanging truths and promises."
Lynn Eib

Paula O

11-23-2012, 05:26 AM

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven...
a time to cry and a time to laugh
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Ecc 3: 1. 4

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in Your book.
Psalm 56:8

May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
may the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
Numbers 6: 24-26

Paula O

11-24-2012, 04:00 AM

1 Peter 5:7New Living Translation (NLT)

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

Amplified Bible (AMP)

7 Casting the [a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20peter%205:7&version=AMP#fen-AMP-30471a)]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [b (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20peter%205:7&version=AMP#fen-AMP-30471b)]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you [c (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20peter%205:7&version=AMP#fen-AMP-30471c)]watchfully.

1 Peter 5:7

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.

1 Peter 5:7

New King James Version (NKJV)

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

My take-away from 1 Peter 5:7 for me this morning:
I throw the entire weight of every single one of my burdens, cares, concerns, and worries on God because He truely loves and cares for me. I'm handing the mother-loads and the baby loads of it all over to Him right now.

Paula O

11-25-2012, 06:00 AM

"When you're dealing with serious illness, you may need to have your head talk to your heart once in a while. That's because our feelings can get distorted and may not reflect reality. The way you feel about life- or even God- may not match the truth about God's feelings and care for you. Are you convinced that neither chemo or radiation, neither scans nor surgery, neither disappointments nor bad news, neither predictions nor seemingly unanswered prayers, nor anything else in the world of illness will be able to separate you from the love of God that is yours in Christ Jesus? Don't let your 'fears for today' or your 'worries about tomorrow' rob you of the absolute certainty that the God of the universe loves you and that nothing, absolutely nothing, can diminish that love for you. Whether your heart feels it or not, your head has a message for you: No matter what happens or doesn't happen in your life today, nothing can keep your Heavenly Father from loving you."
--Lynn Eib in "Feelings vs Reality" in "He Cares" New Testament with Psalms and Proverb

Romans 8:31-39

New Living Translation (NLT)

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208:%2031-39&version=NLT#fen-NLT-28116b)] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paula O

11-26-2012, 05:21 AM

Psalm 139 : 1-18, 23, 24

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave,[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139&version=NLT#fen-NLT-16224a)] you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139&version=NLT#fen-NLT-16233b)] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

SoCalGal

11-26-2012, 09:50 AM

I am not a fan of religion or politics on the board.

Paula O

11-26-2012, 09:53 PM

Thank you for speaking up and sharing your viewpoint, SoCalGal. It's great that we can have cordial, open communication among us here even when at times there is a difference of opinion.

I'd like to address the ladies who are in charge of overseeing this board next so that they can respond openly here as they see best if they'd like to:
First of all, thank you for your hard work and efforts to keep the board a supportive, informative, encouraging place for all. We appreciate you very, very much.

I'd like to suggest in the friendlinest of ways, that there is plenty of room on this board for a variety of threads, including this one. Surely folks can either choose to read and contribute to a thread if they are interested in the topic but simply not click on it at all if they don't want to read about a particular subject or perhaps simply would prefer not to read what a particular poster is writing.

There is sadness, fear, disappointment, and loss that we may feel in our own journeys as well as heartfelt sorrow when our fellow Her2 Positive sisters face very hard battles with cancer or when one of our members passes away. We cope with stresses in lots of different ways. Many people find a great deal of hope and comfort in God and the Bible. I sure do. I am happy to pass along and contribute to the group what I personlly consider to be encouraging and helpful beit free resources for those with cancer, humor, interesting articles, songs, quotes, or Scripture. My sincere desire is to be a blessing.

Love,

Paula

Paula O

11-27-2012, 03:53 AM

"When I was in the hospital after my cancer surgery, a friend came into my room and told me God was going to teach me great things through this trial. I wanted to take the IV out of my arm, stab it in hers, and tell her, 'You get in the bed and learn great things from God, because I don't want to learn this way'.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer, I doubt you're rejoicing over the possibilities of what you can learn from suffering. But I hope you are praying and believing that God can touch you. Wherever you are. Right where you are:
*Newly diagnosed and in shock, praying there's been some mistake.
*Facing surgery, praying the doctor can get it all.
*Undergoing tests, praying for some good news finally.
*Dealing with a recurrence, praying it's been found soon enough.
*At the end of medical hope, praying for a little more time.
*Holding the hand of a loved one, praying to be strong for them."
--Lynn Eib in "When God and Cancer Meet" http://www.allbookstores.com/search?...o.x=10&Go.y=12 (http://www.allbookstores.com/search?type=author&q=lynn+eib&order_by=&page=&limit=&Go.x=10&Go.y=12)

Romans 8:26-28

New Living Translation (NLT)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:28

The Message (MSG)

26-28 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

SoCalGal

11-27-2012, 10:16 AM

To me, the VIBE of this thread feels proselytizing. (IMO Simply not clicking on a link is always a choice but not a good argument. We can start posting links to porn sites, retail sales, or anything with that argument).

I was trying to point out that this thread is very close to an edge we don't normally approach. Joe went out of his way to keep religion and politics off the board. Not an attack on anyone's personal worship, God, beliefs, etc.

Just MY OPINION on the vibe of the thread - I guess it took me by surprise. I feel the same way about politics in that I am all for voting but not for sharing that info here...

And also, I would hate for newbies to think we are a Christian support group as opposed to a HER2 positive support group.

Okay - gotta get my day on...

chrisy

11-27-2012, 10:56 AM

I don't know if I would claim to be "overseeing" the board, although I do have the POWER to delete spam or any other thread:)

I agree with Flori re avoiding political discussions - they quickly get hot and divisive and unhelpful. Over the years we've had very few occasions where Joe had to shut down political discussions and that has always been one of the "house rules" of living in Joe and Christine's home.

I think the same could be true of religious "discussions" or controversies, which we have not really encountered very much, in fact I can't really think of any in the 8 years I've been here. I'd hate to see that too.

I think that is very different tho from sharing inspirational messages or quotes, including this thread which is biblical scriptures. I personally find this thread a super helpful gift and really appreciate the work that has gone into sharing these. I also really like that "scripture" is referenced in the thread subject so that those who want/need this can easily find it (vs. searching through a more generic "inspirational quotes" thread) and those who are not interested or do not find it helpful can equally easily avoid or ignore it.

Although I do see your point about where do we draw the line, Flori. To me the difference is a quote from the dalai lama or other religious sources is likely to be helpful to some members; ads for cialis or links to porn are far less likely but maybe that's just me!

I especially love the respect and grace with which we as the her2support family express ourselves and respect each other-Brenda was a champion at this. This is the only online site on which I have EVER posted because I never felt safe on the sites notable for their "flame wars". You know who they are.

I love you all. You know who you are, too.

LoisLane

11-27-2012, 11:24 AM

I feel Paula is just sharing what gives her strength and hopefully she feels will give others comfort. These are not just Christian quotes. What Christians call "the old Testament" is the Torah, the Jewish bible starting with Genesis. Psalms etc. I respect and understand all your feelings here. Love and peace to you all

Paula O

11-28-2012, 05:47 AM

This is one of my favorites:; God's Christmas gift to me everyday, forever and what fills me with hope and peace:

John 3:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

jaykay

11-28-2012, 07:27 AM

I am a newbie (but long time lurker) and tbh - this thread makes me uncomfortable. I know I can choose not to read. I am also Jewish.

Maybe it should be on another board other than this primary one?

I'm not looking to start a dialogue battle but I do feel this crosses the line.

Janis

chrisy

11-28-2012, 07:29 PM

I was thinking along the same lines.

We have never kept "spiritual" for lack of a better word threads off limits. What has been off limits is discussions where we are not able to treat each other with respect and disagree agreeably. I'm proud of how we've handled the controversy on this thread, and I note that many members have inspirational quotes, sometimes religious, as part of their signature. We often ask for, and receive prayers of support.

I remember a few years ago there was a person who did not like the style or content of andibb's posts which many find very helpful. In the end, Joe did close the particular thread in question at the time - not because of the content which some might call spiritual in nature - but because it degenerated into personal attacks in all directions.

We ran a couple of members off the board (one of whom posted elsewhere that the Her2support group was intolerant) and several stayed away for a while. I intended to "stay away" if we became a flame war site and posted that intention. Only a personal phone call from Joe stopped me.

Like I said, I'm proud of how we have remained respectful in this discussion and would hate to have it degenerate or drive people away of either opinion.

I suggest we might move this thread to the forum "keeping your mind off cancer". It would still be around and available but in a different location.

Paula O

11-28-2012, 08:40 PM

Sounds great to me. :)

Thanks for taking care of moving the thread, Chrisy.

Paula

Paula O

11-29-2012, 05:05 AM

Deuteronomy 31:8 in 3 different Bible versions--

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (NIV)

God is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down: He won't leave you. Don't be intimitated. Don't worry. (The Message)

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you or abandon you. (NLT)

"God never sends you into a situation alone. He always goes before His children, as He did with the children of Isreal when He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night...He always precedes you in any situation or encounter. God is never caught by surprise by your experience; He has already been there. He is prepared to meet every need because he has gone before you and knows exactly what you will need for your pilgrimage...If you are going through a difficult or confusing time, know that your Lord has gone before you and He is present with you. He is fully aware of what you are facing, and He is actively responding to your need."
--Henry and Richard Blackaby in Experiencing God Day by Day

Paula O

11-30-2012, 02:55 AM

The makers of this short film clip weren't in the least thinking about what someone battling cancer feels like at times or any spiritual analogies whatsoever but I found it to be a powerful connection:
http://www.flixxy.com/bear-animal-nature-film.htm (http://www.flixxy.com/bear-animal-nature-film.htm)

After you watch the film, maybe you'd like to give it some thought. Let's talk about it TOMORROW, Sat Dec 1st so that everyone who wants to watch the film today can view it with fresh eyes. I'll follow up with a few thoughts tomorrow and I'd love to hear what you felt as you watched the film or any insights you'd care to share.

Paula

Paula O

12-01-2012, 02:21 AM

There are many women with aggressive breast cancer that feel just like that little bear cub who was minding her own business enjoying life when caught completely unaware by the hungry cougar hunting her down, his eye on dinner. Every way she tried to escape backed her into a corner. Cancer can be tenacious and fast in it's pursuit and we can be frantic and at our wits end, seeking every means of escape, trying every option. Sometimes it feels like cancer is "winning". Things can get looking pretty grim and downright hopeless.

We do go through scary stuff sometimes but God can make a way where there seems to be no way. Nothing is impossible with Him. He has plans we have no clue about. He's WAY more powerful than cancer. He is bigger than our fears. He loves and accepts us right where we are and His arms are stretched wide open to us all the time. I don't understand it all, but for me I see He has bigger and better plans than exclusively my comfort and health in what He allows and I know that He always is up to something good in my life. Always and no matter what.

I like this song: "God Will Make a Way": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o)

Ephesians 3:20
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (NKJV)

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (NIV)

20Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]– (Amplified)

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. (NLT)

20-21God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message)

20 To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: (Good News)

What did you think of the film? Could you relate to the bear? Feel free to share your thoughts if you'd like to.

Paula

Paula O

12-02-2012, 04:52 AM

I really like the song, "Blessings". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ
Laura Story wrote this song through the trials of her husband's illness and sings from her heart.

The story behind the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ljV_RA0CM

Blessings: By Laura Story

“We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?”

Psalm 62:5-8

King James Version (KJV)

5My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
7In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. ("Selah" means "Think about it.")

Paula O

12-03-2012, 12:15 AM

"God Loves You.
And He is the Father
you have been looking for all your life.
This is His love letter to you. "
http://fathersloveletter.com/video.html
(A beautiful, short media presentation using a paraphrase of about 50 Bible verses from the Old and New Testaments: a Father's Love Letter)

************************************************** **
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
~Psalm 46:1
************************************************** *
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they go right on producing delicious fruit" (Jeremiah 17: 7-8). 

J J Heller - Your Hands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-F6DGGF4Qs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-F6DGGF4Qs)

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away. I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land

Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still
Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave you
When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave
I never leave your hands

Welp, It's 2 AM, I can't sleep,(a chronic issue I sure wish I could overcome) and am off to the airport at 4 AM to fly to San Antonio for the Oncology Symposium this week. I'm really looking forward to it. I hope to catch some ZZZZZZZZZZZZs on the plane and not fall asleep in any of the meetings. :)

Big blessings to you and yourne,

Paula

Paula O

12-13-2012, 05:01 AM

Got any Goliaths in Your Life?

“Thank You for Goliath”
(By Linda Hayase)

Jonathan, who is almost three, likes to pray. His prayers are
naturally childlike, and sometimes elicit giggles from us. On various
occasions, he has thanked the Lord for such things as his toes, the
ceiling fan, his sister’s nose and the ice cream man.
One night, after we had read aloud the familiar story of how David
had conquered Goliath, we tucked Jonathan into bed and asked if he
would like to pray. He nodded, then prayed, “Thank You for Goliath.”
I almost corrected him to say that we shouldn’t thank God for Goliath
because he was the bad guy; rather, we should thank God for David.
After all, wasn’t he the hero? I decided not to say anything but to
simply smile and kiss him good night. I didn’t want to discourage him
from praying at this early age.
Later, the Lord revealed to me that it was good and proper for
Jonathan to thank Him for Goliath. “What do you mean, Lord?” I
wondered.
Goliath, the giant that seemed inconquerable, was a big test of faith
for David. No one wanted to battle the huge Philistine, but the Lord
gave courage and a bit of pluck to young David. He was determined to
defend the name of the Lord. It didn’t matter that he had never
encountered a giant like this before. God honored his faith, and the
giant went tumbling down!
Giants test your faith, and that is a good thing.
The Israelites had a giant. A giant of a sea before them that seemed
impenetrable. The Egyptians were close behind. Moses told them to
stand still and see what the Lord would do. God parted the sea and
delivered His people. If not for the Red Sea, would the Israelites
have been able to witness the awesome power of God’s hand?
Hannah had a giant. A giant barrenness in her womb. It consumed her
every thought and it filled her with grief. She pleaded with the Lord
to give her a child, and vowed that she would dedicate it back to
Him. The Lord heard her cry, and gave her a precious son, Samuel. She
later conceived many more children, and learned that God answers
prayer exceedingly and abundantly above all we could think or ask. If
not for her infertility, would Hannah have had as deep an
understanding of God’s grace?
Naaman had a giant. A giant of a disease covering every inch of his
body. He was told to go to the Jordan River and dip himself seven
times. He resisted at first, but then realized that God was his only
hope. His obedience resulted in healing of the body and soul. If not
for his leprosy, would Naaman have met the Great Physician and
experienced His touch?
The disciples had a giant. A giant of a problem feeding 5,000 hungry
people. Where would they get the food from? Jesus taught them to
thank God first, then to share what you have even if it doesn’t seem
like much. Miraculously, a few loaves and fish fed thousands, with
abundant leftovers afterward. If not for the starving crowd, would
the disciples have learned that God provides for the needs of His
people?
I’ve had many giants in my life. Frankly, I didn’t feel thankful for
the circumstances while in the midst of them. However, I can now look
back and see that God was doing a special work in my life during
those times, a work that could only have been accomplished by
allowing me to face that particular giant.
Perhaps you are faced with a Goliath right now. Bad medical news. A
difficult marriage. Financial calamity. A prodigal child.
Overwhelming pressures. You can be filled with hope, knowing that
this giant is in your life for a purpose.
Giants test our faith, and that results in spiritual fruit. “Count it
all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing
of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2,3).
Giants teach us obedience. “It is good for me that I have been
afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (Psalm 119:71).
Giants give us empathy for those who struggle with the same
things, “that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2
Corinthians 1:4).
Giants humble our hearts that we might gain wisdom. “When pride
comes, then comes shame. But with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs
11:2).
Giants move us to prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything,
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all
comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 4:6,7).
Giants allow us to share in Christ’s sufferings. “Beloved, do not
think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent
that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is
revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12, 13).
Giants allow us to know God. Job, who faced giant after giant in his
life, finally could say, “I had heard about You before, but now I
have seen You with my own eyes” (Job 42:5, NLT).
Giants teach us that God is always present with us. “For I am
persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities
nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor
depth nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39).
Giants help us to realize that God is in control. “And we know that
all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
The apostle Paul had a giant. He called it a thorn–but it towered
over his life like a giant-and he asked God three times to remove it.
Then God spoke to him, saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for
My power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then realizes that this
thorn or giant was not something to fear or detest. It was something
to rejoice over! He concludes, “Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults,
in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10).
The reason why David was able to move against Goliath with confidence
was because he did not put his faith in himself, nor did he put his
faith in his weapons. His faith was in the Lord. He said to
Goliath, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I
come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies
of Israel, whom you have taunted.”
Where have you put your faith? Is it in your own efforts? Your own
plans? Are you tempted to run away? Or is your faith in the only One
who can save you? May it be said of us that we are moving forward in
the name of the Lord!
God is bigger and more powerful than any giant in our life! We are
able to see His mighty hand work in ways mere human hands or minds
cannot. Dewey Cass says, “When God is going to do something
wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. If He is going to do
something very wonderful, He begins with an impossibility.”
Will God always remove the giants in our life? No, He may choose in
His wisdom and sovereignty to allow the giant to remain. When He does
this, however, He also provides His strength to be victorious in the
midst of the battle.
Jesus faced a giant. The cross. He asked His Father to remove it, but
on one condition only. “Nevertheless,” He prayed, “Not My will but
Yours be done.” He wanted whatever His Father wanted, even if that
meant facing the giant.
What was the purpose of the cross? That we might enter into a
relationship with the Living God and inherit eternal life! That was
the purpose of this giant, and how thankful we should be that our
Heavenly Father allowed it until the final cry, “It is finished!”
Gratitude should fill our souls that Jesus was obedient until the
end. Because of His obedience, we are able to witness the power of
His resurrection! Because of His obedience, we have the privilege of
becoming children of God! Because of His obedience, we can overcome
the giants in our lives through Christ!
We may not understand everything that happens to us, but we can rest
in knowing that our Heavenly Father knows best. Let us lift our eyes
to heaven and say, with a childlike trust, “Thank You, Lord, for
Goliath!”
==================================================
© 2000 Linda Hayase
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Paula O

12-14-2012, 05:35 AM

Paula O

12-15-2012, 05:45 AM

"After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park , forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. Then the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast....because she had been willing to die, so those under the cover of her wings would live."

'He will cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you will find refuge.'
(Psalm 91:4)

God, I want to be close to You. I want to find refuge and shelter from all the storms under Your Wings of security. Please help me.

Paula O

12-16-2012, 04:56 AM

“We see always what we are looking for, and if our mind has become trained to look for trouble and difficulty and all dark and dreary things, we find just what we seek. On the other hand, it is also possible to form the habit of looking always for beauty, for good, for reasons for thanksgiving and joy. Here too, we shall find precisely what we seek.” (JR Miller, 1840)

Philippians 4:8

New Living Translation (NLT)

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8

The Message (MSG)

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Philippians 4:8

King James Version (KJV)

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
Philippians 4:8

Good News Translation (GNT)

8 In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,(Phil 4:13) including training my mind to focus on what is true, honorable, right, good, pure, lovely and loveable, noble, kind, winsome, gracious, admirable, gracious, reputable, authentic, compelling...things that are excellent and worthy of praise... even and perhaps most especially when things seem not to be going well.

Paula O

12-17-2012, 03:24 AM

Lamentations 3:21-24

New King James Version (NKJV)

21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

I took the New Living Translation, Amplified Bible , the Good News Translation, The Message, and The Contemporary English Version, put them together a la Paula to personalize it for me and got this:

I recall and mull over in my mind the reason I can have the peace of such a solid hope and expectation. It comes straight from God’s Hand and is based on His character and attributes. It is because of the Lord’s mercy, kindness, and His great love that I am not consumed when I hit bottom. He loves and accepts me. His goodness fills me with hope. I can have confidence and courage even when hard things happen because I can always trust the Lord no matter what. I keep a grip on hope. His tender compassions never let me down, not ever. The Lord’s unfailing love, faithfulness, and mercy forevermore continue--they never run out or dry up. They are brand new and fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. Great and abundant are Your stability and faithfulness, Lord! I continually remind myself that the Lord is my portion, my share, my inheritance therefore I will hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. I'm sticking with God and what He says in the Bible. He won't ever let me down. Deep in my heart I say, 'The Lord will meet all my needs; I can depend on Him 100%'. My hope rests securely in Him ..and when my faith is shakey and doubts and fear crowd in, I can cry out to Him to help me and He will.

Two versions of a song based on Lamentations 3:21-24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJYf9KnxwbQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJbXDoK_AAs&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Paula O

12-18-2012, 07:45 AM

Prayer of Release
By Roy Lessin

I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 2 Timothy 1:12 NLT
“Heavenly Father, I release to You the burdens that I have been carrying, burdens that You never intended for me to carry. I cast all my cares upon You—all my worries, all my fears. You have told me not be anxious about anything, but rather to bring everything to You in prayer with thankfulness.
Father, calm my restless spirit, quiet my anxious heart, still my troubling thoughts with the assurance that You are in control. I let go of my grip upon the things I have been hanging onto, with opened hands I come to You. I release to Your will all that I am trying to manipulate; I release to Your authority all that I am trying to control; I release to Your timing all that I have been striving to make happen.
I thank You for Your promise to sustain me, preserve me, and guard all that I have entrusted to Your keeping. Protect my heart and mind with Your peace, the peace that passes all understanding. Father, may Your will be done in my life, in Your time, and in Your way.”

Psalm 55:22
New Living Translation (NLT)
22 Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
1 Peter 5:7
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Philippians 4:6
New Living Translation (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Isaiah 26:3
New Living Translation (NLT)
3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Luke 11:2
New Living Translation (NLT)
2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:[a]
“Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
2 Timothy 1:12
King James Version (KJV)
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Beautiful song: "I KNOW that my Redeemer lives!" By Nicole Mullen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71nE8nPHoSM

Paula O

12-19-2012, 06:40 AM

Living Our Litanies

http://www.thehighcalling.org/faith/living-our-litanies (http://www.thehighcalling.org/faith/living-our-litanies)
by Charity Singleton (http://www.thehighcalling.org/users/charitysingleton)

“The very night I finished radiation, I joined a gym. It was on my list, right before, “Get Pizza for Dinner.” When I mentioned the pizza to the manager who was registering my gym membership, he said lots of people do that. Go hog wild the night they join a gym.
But it wasn’t like that for me. Eating pizza wasn’t hog wild. It was just a way to keep living.
Although cancer treatment is no picnic, the days and months following the treatment have been hardest for me in the past. While I am seeing doctors and having blood tests and being radiated every day, I feel like I’m fighting the disease. When it stops, I feel like a sitting duck for cancer to return.
After my first and toughest cancer treatment, I stopped planning, lived one day at a time for months on end, telling every person who invited me to dinner or asked me to a movie for the upcoming weekend that I wasn’t sure if I could make it. I might not be alive then was what I was thinking, as if never planning anything was much of a life.
This time around, I am trusting the Lord for something different. Not only am I planning, I’m planning big and long, not because there are any guarantees but because the abundant life Jesus promised me starts here and now and has nothing to do with fear and doubt.
A few weeks before my surgery last August, my friend Kelly was watching the Cars 2 movie with her sons and decided she and I should plan a trip to Italy. So, a few weeks ago, Kelly texted me and said she had started her Italy savings fund. Italy is officially on the list.
So is attending the Festival of Faith and Writing (http://festival.calvin.edu/) at Calvin College this Spring and taking another crack at writing a book and training this silly puppy of mine to quit jumping.
This is not a bucket list. These aren’t things I have to do before I die. These are things I have to do if I want to keep on living. This litany is really just a prayer in disguise: Lord, keep me hoping.
If this list of mine really is about living, though, it can’t just have the big things on it. Trips to Italy and writing books can motivate for a while, but those goals are so far away, and I have a lot of living to do in the meantime.
My litany needs to include things like writing letters to my nieces and nephews, reading good books, memorizing Scripture, walking Tilly every day. I need to write down every single one of those things on the list, and then I need to hand it to Jesus. Is this what you want my life to look like?
Past experience tells me it would be easier to make a different kind of list, to number one by one all the things cancer has taken from me. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve made those lists in the past.
In her post, “How Our Litanies Shape Us (http://stephindialogue.com/2011/11/10/how-our-litanies-shape-us/),” Stephanie Smith talks about this kind of catalog of complaints and what that can do to a soul.
If a litany of naming all things good and beautiful directs us into grace, then a litany of complaints deforms us. I have been cataloging my complaints and I am afraid they are becoming ingrained in my living. But counting faults and keeping score is tiring. And I don’t like the fact that I so willingly spend myself on counting and collecting injuries, when I could find freedom in simply letting them go.
As I was finishing up a recent appointment with my oncologist, he mentioned the new doctors he was hiring for his practice, and I asked him if there was a retirement in his near future.
“Oh, I don’t know. I still want to work, I just want lots of time off in the summer,” he said, kind of chuckling.
“Well, then, I just need to plan my cancer recurrences for the Spring or Fall then, huh?” I teased.
“No, you just need to retire from cancer recurrences altogether,” he said. “It’s very possible that’s what you’ve done.”
We shook hands, and I left.
Breathing hope into others, I thought. That’s going on the list, too.”

Praise You in the Sorm Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0LV_p3HQQI
Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Paula O

12-20-2012, 05:55 AM

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/12/the-truth-about-sandy-hook-where-is-god-when-bad-things-happen/

"Where is God when bad things happen?"

Paula O

12-21-2012, 05:39 AM

"The Hebrew shalom is a universal greeting; it means “peace, a complete state of well being.” But the New Testament significantly expands the concept of peace. And when the angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, they said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14 (http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Luke%202.14)).

Anyone can have peace when the sun is shining and everything is going great. But the peace that God offers is peace that controls our hearts and keeps us calm, even when everything around us is raging. Experience His peace afresh this Christmas—the peace of Jesus Christ Himself, the Child that is born, the Son that is given, and the One that will someday rule the world. All of government will weigh upon His shoulders, and He will handle it perfectly! And His children will be part of that kingdom."

And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father—and today, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6 (http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isaiah%209.6)).

http://jamesmacdonald.com/blog/?p=10339#more-10339 (http://jamesmacdonald.com/blog/?p=10339#more-10339)

Song: You are Mine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2LAkunDa30 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2LAkunDa30)

Paula O

12-22-2012, 05:09 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKaZmKMtXfg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKaZmKMtXfg)
Don Moen's song: Be Strong and Take Courage

2 Corinthians 1:9 “We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Chapter 1 of the book "Blessings" by Laura Story: http://laurastorymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Blessings-Chapter-1.pdf

"There is a depth of intimacy with
God that can only be known through suffering. There is a reliance on Him that can only be experienced when everything else around my soul seems to give way. And if that’s what it takes to make this stubborn child cling
to that old rugged cross, you can have your prosperity. I’d rather have Jesus."
--Laura Story

Paula O

12-23-2012, 02:38 AM

The below is a direct quote by Stacy from http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/ :

“My mind settled on the morning and the beauty of women gathering together to study God’s Word desiring to grow closer to their Savior. Of the wisdom that was shared as we looked at God’s order in the home. And as my mind bounced from one thought to the next, it was quickly interrupted as I heard these words coming from the back seat…

“The Lord will fight for you.” Exodus 14:14

“Is that right, mom?”

Am I saying this right?

And as I quickly peered around the seat, there was Jeddy holding up this bookmark from Children’s Ministry. In his “just learning to read curiosity” and adorable little voice, with determination at getting the words right and pure pleasure in accomplishment….He needed some validation that he was in fact reading the words correctly.

What he didn’t know was in that moment, God was using my little boy to speak directly to my heart.

That those words, were words that have flooded my mind for the last 6 months, turning over what it means in my “fight against breast cancer.”

Trying to fully understand God at His word and wrap my mind around this battle that I’m in knowing that I really and truly can’t “fight” it. This cancer. It’s too big and I’m too little.

At least not fight the way I’m told to by the world.

This battle is not mine. I’ve said it before.

This cancer has too many tentacles and unknowns. It was my deepest fear for 38 years. CANCER. The 6 letter no one ever wants put together in a sentence where your name is involved.

The disease that as doctors say, “isn’t considered curable for 5 years from diagnosis, because it is a disease that can strike later with a vengeance.”

And all around are the words, “Fight breast cancer.” My goodness, there are even pink boxing gloves made for women fighting this disease. As much as I love pink (and I do, it is my favorite color)….I don’t want boxing gloves, nor do I know what to do with them and the 6 letter word.

And so as Jeddy’s sweet voice came from the backseat, asking the most childlike question….

“Mom is this right? The Lord will fight for you?” holding up his bookmark….God was answering the question that I have held at the forefront of my prayers.

I grabbed for my Bible on the passenger seat next to me and asked Jeddy to tell me again where that was. I needed to read the context. I needed in that moment to see the words on the pages of the one book that is alive and sharper than any two edged sword because right then and there is was cutting through my joint and marrow, my soul and spirit, just as Hebrews tells us the Bible does. (Hebrews 4:12)

So with my legs steadying the steering wheel and one eye on the road and the other on my Bible, I went to Exodus 14:14 (note to others….do not recommend doing this while driving, but I was not to be contained in that moment.)

And here’s the story of Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea. I’ve read the story a thousand times. My eyes have gazed over these verses and these words. But today they held a deeper meaning. Today they came alive to this woman whose body is tired and chemo has just worn out the physical me. To a woman that really doesn’t want to fight the way I have the better half of my life. In my strength, my way, pushing to get to the other side. I’m not engaging in this battle this way. I can’t. It is too exhausting.

And as Moses has just lead the Israelites out of Egypt, a land of oppression, from a Pharaoh they were enslaved to, to a future that offered no hope in their human eyes…..before them lay the massive Red Sea. Under them the ground was probably shaking as the hooves from the horses and the wheels of the chariots came fiercely across the ground in the distance, quickly approaching. To say they were pressed on every side would be an understatement. Can you imagine the fear that was rising within them. A battle was ensuing, a battle for their lives, their future, their livelihood..

A battle that resounds within me.

But God knew as He could see into their hearts.

And guess what Moses told them to do……Stand Still! The Lord will fight for you!

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13-14

And what did God do, He parted the Red Sea. He delivered them. He brought them to the other side. He fought the battle and He won..His way. Those Israelites, they were ready to go back to Egypt. The battle was too much. The journey too long. The end, not seen. And I imagine, they were tired.

But God says, this battle is mine. Watch me deliver you. Believe I will deliver you. All I ask is that you stand still. Stand firm. Not in human understanding, but in ME.

This same message is throughout God’s Word. It is there when the Israelites came up against the Amorites crying out that they were ‘greater and taller, the cities were great and fortified.’
They saw their enemy with their eyes and they were scared. And Moses tells them

“Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you,
He will fight for you.”Deuteronomy 1:30

And then he gives the most beautiful picture of God as a Father carrying His son, never letting him down or letting him go.

That’s what God’s battlefield looks like.

That is what God does for each of us. He fights the battle. He takes down the enemy and He is victorious and in the process He desires to show Himself strong & faithful for us…for you and for me.

The battle, the fight needs to be put into the proper perspective.

It isn’t about us winning. It is about the glory of God being seen. His character. His faithfulness. His salvation. His deliverance. His love. His grace. His mercy. His magnificence.

And when we put down the weapons of this world and pick up faith in Christ Jesus, there is victory.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God….” 2 Corinthians 10:4,5

And I look at David…as he was going to fight Goliath, Saul tried to adorn him with armor….worldly armor…a coat of mail, a heavy helmet, a sword….and as David tried to walk, he couldn’t. It was heavy, cumbersome and ill fitting. David, taking off that armor, told Saul that it hadn’t been tested. It hadn’t been tried.

David was a boy that sought after the Lord. He knew that the battle was the Lord’s. He knew a God that didn’t disappoint and that came through strong. God had more to show than a boy defeating a giant. God was to show His strength in the weakness of that boy.

David drew 5 small, smooth stones and placed them in his pouch. And He stood before Goliath. He didn’t charge at him. He stood and used the weapons that God had given him….God’s almighty power and strength.

We know how the story ends. Goliath went down.

But we see in the end, David’s heart on the matter. David’s heart toward God.

“That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all the assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:46,47

That the glory of God may be seen. That all the earth would know there is a God and He delivers.

And God goes on in Ephesians to give us the armor that we need as the battles ensue around us. As war is waged against us and we pass through the valley of the shadow of death.

These are spiritual weapons, because whereas our battles might appear to be physical, they are spiritual. As Satan wants to take us down and in the process take God down.

But God has won. And He tells us to grab hold of the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the sword of the Spirit, the belt of truth, shield of faith and the shoes of the Gospel of peace. Pray in the Spirit, be watchful with perseverance….and STAND in the Lord and the power of His might.

How hard, right? Just to stand still and let God fight for us. We are a world of doing. Of bringing about action and results. But God says to stand still and let the power of the Lord rest upon us. To see what He is going to do. That doesn’t mean that you do nothing. It means that you humbly follow hard after Him and let Him direct your steps. Seek His wisdom and understanding, as David did as he drew those stones from the brook.

The battle is the Lord’s and we are to Stand firmly in Him. Who we know Him to be and He will show His power through us, strengthening us and fighting the battles for us.

And the victory….the victory is that in this battle I have the peace of God that passes understanding, I have joy, I have love, I have strength and I have power….all of which are God’s and are in me as I am in Christ Jesus.

He is my hope. Not the chemo, not the surgery, not the radiation, the doctors, the supplements, the nutrition, the drugs…..my hope is in Christ alone. As I sought Him, He showed me these treatments are part of His plan for me, but ultimately, He will do the healing. All I can do is take care of this body as a servant of the Lord. Care for this temple. He will bring me, as He did with the Israelites, to the other side. I pray for healing, but either way I know that I am alive, whether here on this earth or in the presence of the Lord for all eternity.

Back to those words spoken from the mouth of my 6 year old boy…..

“The Lord will fight for you.”

“Mom, is this right?”

You bet, my sweet boy….He will!! “

http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/

Paula O

12-24-2012, 04:37 AM

“Today, will I surrender my fears, my future, my what ifs, my life to the God of the heavens? The sovereign one with whom there are no accidents. With whom truth gives way, shining its light on the very core of my fears. With whom His very Word, that which we can hold in our fingertips, and take into the inner places of our beings…..brings hope, love, truth, comfort, encouragement, courage, forgiveness, healing, strength and endurance…and the ability to surrender to Him.” By Stacy at http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/ (http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/)

God’s Relationship With Me
Taking Every Thought Captive (http://www.lydiapress.com/) by Alaine Pakkala

God wants to have an intimate relationship with me.
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

God knows everything about me and He still loves me.
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar offIf I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:1-2, 9-10

God’s love for me is not influenced by anything I ever did or ever will do.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. I John 4:10

The creator of the universe loves me.
Even as He chose us [actually picked us our for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was kind intent] Ephesians 1:4-5 Amp.

God is in control of everything in my life.
But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10

God never makes a mistake.
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Psalm 18:30

God has a plan for the crooked places.
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring it to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Genesis 50:20

I am important to God.
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Psalm 139:17-18

God wants to help me today.
Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of righteousness and justice. Isaiah 41:10 Amp.

I am not alone.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:9-10

God is on my side.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? Psalm 118:6

God always makes the right decisions.
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 Amp.

God has provided for my sin problem
[I]For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rm 2:23
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

God gave His son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and God raised Him from the dead.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.Psalm 103:12

God has realistic expectations of me today.
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in hart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

God accepts me.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:16

God forgives me.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed. Isaiah 44:22
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace Eph 1:7

God really loves me.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. I John 4:9

God hides me in the shadow of His wings.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: Psalm 91:4a

God has good things planned for my life.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God is concerned with meeting my physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

God knows all the “what ifs” of my life.
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165

God knows when I am overwhelmed.
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

God collects my tears.
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? Psalm 56:8

God enjoys me.
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: he will save he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:3

God thinks that I am precious.
You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. I Corinthians 6:20 Amp.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His children Psalm 116:15

God loves me with an everlasting love.
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3b

God feels compassion towards me.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11

God wants to bless me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord endureth forever: Psalm 138:8a

God sees everything and hears when I pray.
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

God knows all about me, even my secret thoughts.
Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. Psalm 147:5

God calls me His beloved.
Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Colossians 3:12

God chose me and brought me close to Himself.
Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by right hand. Psalm 73:23

God protects me.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. Psalm 121:7

Paula O

12-25-2012, 06:27 AM

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x309/sanjoe76/HappyBirthdayJesuscopy.jpg

Paula O

12-25-2012, 06:32 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWq60oyrHVQ
The Christmas story re-enacted by some kids in New Zealand

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA)
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”
-Luke 2:10-14

"You're Here"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHKJ1aWt1J4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHKJ1aWt1J4)

Mary Did You Know?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86dagxYWKmY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86dagxYWKmY)

Merry Christmas, everybody! :)

Paula

Paula O

12-26-2012, 08:02 AM

(Sorry about wierd formatting--I don't know how to fix it)

Matthew 14:13-21 (New Living Translation)Jesus Feeds Five Thousand 13As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed by land from many villages. 14A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15That evening the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and it is getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." 16But Jesus replied, "That isn't necessary-
</PRE>

-you feed them." 17"Impossible!" they exclaimed. "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish!" 18"Bring them here," he said. 19Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. And he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God's blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave some of the bread and fish to each disciple, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21About five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves, in addition to all the women and children!
</PRE>

</PRE>

"Christ can meet our spiritual needs, our emotional needs, and our physical needs. He is both deeply spiritual and entirely practical. He can also apply a miracle to absolutely any situation...Christ can perform astounding wonders when we bring Him all we have. Matt 14:17 records the disciples saying, "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish." Christ then responded in verse 18, "Bring them here to me." I want you to hear something loud and clear: no matter what your "only" is, when you bring all of your "only" to Jesus, it's huge! When we bring Him everything we have, He multiplies it beyond our wildest imagination. On the other hand, we can surrender Him "some" of our lot and it can dwindle to virtually nothing.""Think bigger, boys!You've yet to findI've got all the powerAll of the time.Think bigger, boys!While it is dayWatch what I doDo what I sayThink bigger boys!See every sceneWith Me in the middle reigning as KingThink bigger, boys!For one day you'll seeMe in my gloryThen you'll say to me...We should've thought bigger."From "Jesus the one and only" By Beth Moore-------------Jesus Christ, so real, so personal, so alive and no longer a baby in a manger-- knows each of us through and through. He loves and cares about everyone, including people who want
</PRE>

nothing to do with Him or deny He even exists. We
</PRE>

are as like Saran Wrap before Him--He can see clear down to our hearts where nobody else can see with nothing hidden.
</PRE>

He knows what we struggle with, every detail of our past, our today, our future. He knows all about our weaknesses, our mess ups, our failures, the things we wish we could take back or change but we can't. He knows when we stand up or lie down and every single thought we'll ever think even before we think it(now ain't that a thought :)! His Word tells us that He's got a heap of love and grace and forgiveness to lavish on each of us. His desire is for us to have a personal,
</PRE>

intimate relationship with Him and His arms are stretched wide open to us.
</PRE>

We don't have to get formal with God or clean up our act first and then
</PRE>

come to Him. This has nothing to do with going to church or any "religion".
</PRE>

We can come to God just as we are--warts and all and talk to Him like a friend because he
</PRE>

truly is one. If you want to get to know God better and have a great relationaship with Him, tell Him so.
</PRE>

Ask Him to make Himself real to you in a very personal way. We can hand Him every doubt, fear, every bit of anger and confusion, all our messes and ask Him to give us faith
</PRE>

to believe when our faith is nill. He can give us peace and hope in the midst of the hardest situations.
</PRE>

There's a verse that says "If you seek me you will find me if you seek me with your whole heart."
</PRE>

</PRE>

Jesus was called the Great Physician.
</PRE>

He is fully capable of healing what doctors can not. NOTHING is impossible for God, absolutely NOTHING.
</PRE>

Sometimes He uses tools like surgery, radiation, chemo, etc in our healing and sometimes He does not. I really
</PRE>

do not know why sometimes He heals people physically and sometimes he doesn't but some of His
</PRE>

biggest miracles have nothing to do with healing diseases like cancer. Sometimes a bigger miracle than healing cancer
</PRE>

is the healing of somebody's heart and soul. This same Savior Who walked with the disciples can take the equivalent
</PRE>

of a few fish and loaves and multiply them before our eyes as we surrender full control to Him.
</PRE>

Gratefully His child,
</PRE>

Paula
</PRE>

Paula O

12-28-2012, 07:16 AM

I have this up in my kitchen:

"The will of God has taken me

where the grace of God can keep me,
where the arms of God can support me,
where the riches of God can supply my needs,
where the power of God can give me strength.
The will of God has taken me

where the Spirit of God can work through me,
where the wisdom of God can teach me,
where the arm of God can protect me,
where the hands of God can mold me.
The will of God has taken me

where the love of God can surround me,
where the mercies of God can sustain me,
where the peace of God can calm my fears,
where the authority of God can overrule for me.
The will of God has taken me

where the comfort of God can dry my tears,
where the Word of God can feed me,
where the miracles of God can be done for me, where the omnipresence of God can find me."

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement
and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you
in every good deed and word.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:16 (NIV)

When my soul needs rest: http://www.truewoman.com/?id=2360 (http://www.truewoman.com/?id=2360)

Song: "Day By Day"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNVCcph6cnI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYAG7zXCEYE&feature=fvsr
Voice of Truth

Paula O

12-29-2012, 04:46 AM

“I can’t tell you how, when, or where God will bring a blessing through your trial of suffering. But I can tell you why–because His Word promises He will. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”.
God will bring a blessing through your trial because you matter greatly to Him and He longs to show you that. He may bless you with physical healing, or He may bless you by healing you emotionally of some deep-seated hurts. He may bless you spiritually with the joy of knowing Him in a way you never have before. Or He may bless others through you in unimaginable ways. My blessing from cancer is certainly not the one I sought, but because God knows me and loves me, He knew how to bless me.”

--(Quote from When God and Cancer Meet by Lynn Eib)

“Have you surrendered to despair because of your past or the inevitable situations in your life? Stop it! The greatest days of your life are before you. The past is over. Stop living life looking in the rear view mirror. Look forward. Press on! The best is yet to be, God never consults your past to determine your future.”–Hagee

Cancer can mess with this outward shell that I need to walk around in temporarily on this earth but it can not steal the treasures I have laid up in Heaven, not a one of those can cancer touch, not ever.

Matthew 6:19-20
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

"Above All": http://www.godvine.com/Cute-5-Year-Old-Kaitlyn-Maher-Sings-Above-All-219.html

Paula O

12-31-2012, 07:15 AM

http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4143-1304-7.pdf
"The 4:8 Principle:The Secret of a Joy Filled Life" By Tommy Newberry (Link is to intro and Chapter 1 of this New York Times Best Seller)

I borrowed the "4:8 Principle" book from the library a long time ago and plan on re-reading it soon. I asked for it yesterday for a belated anniversary gift. It fits in very nicely with some changes I'm going to make in my life this year.

Paula

Paula O

01-02-2013, 05:01 AM

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s480x480/523681_283276958446185_1762499969_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=283276958446185&set=a.270326646407883.59726.270321286408419&type=1&ref=nf)

“But one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead…
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
~Phil. 3:13-14 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:%2013-14&version=ESV)
:
Below is an excerpt from: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/01/when-you-dont-want-a-new-year-but-a-new-you-camera-giveaway/

“Well…. do I tell you that 2012 was the year I didn’t lose 10 pounds, forgot every morning for. a. year. to exercise, didn’t finish reading the Bible, failed to write what I really wanted, never got the basement backroom gutted, rammed about in the same ruts on rinse and repeat, only read half as many books to the kids as I’d planned, and missed living up to what I’d named this year (http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/01/what-the-new-year-needs-most/)?

"Regardless of how shiny any life looks like from the outside, the honest and the Lord look on the bare heart.

"We all are failures — at least the honest of us are.

"That dog could be barking at a lot more than imagined shadows out there.

"How in the world do you step hopeful into the next year when you tripped messy through the last year? How do you stand brave with all the smiling rest and ring in the new year when the old year still feels a bit like a millstone around the neck? What if everyone else is making New Year’s resolutions and you just want New You solutions?"
------------------
The link has a wonderful analogy of the author's daughter stumbling through her piano recital that is worth reading. It made me think of some of my own blunderings this past year and what God so beautifully can teach us through our mess-ups and failures.

Paula

Paula O

01-03-2013, 04:59 AM

"I don't care how big the cancer is, how small the cure odds are, how little time a doctor says you or a loved one has, I have a message for you...God is bigger than cancer. His light is brighter than cancer's shadow, and there is always hope in Him."
---Lymm Eib in "Finding the Light in Cancer's Shadow"

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
Psalm 42:5

When doubts fill my mind,
Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:19

Paula O

01-04-2013, 04:01 AM

John 1:16
New King James Version (NKJV)
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

John 1:16
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
16Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another

John 1:16
New Living Translation (NLT)
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

John 1:16
Amplified Bible (AMP)
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.

Chapter on happiness by Joanna Harris in her excellent book ”Grace in Time of Need” http://joyoharris.blogspot.com/2011/03/happiness.html
http://www.deeperroots.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=732&osCsid=ca66bc409b39b7e01e1b896024cbaf5f

Paula O

01-05-2013, 07:27 AM

Quote from “The Satisfied Heart” by Ruth Meyers:

“To really know God means that we see what He wants to be in relationship to us and then, more and more in the experiences of daily life, let Him be that to us–count on Him to be that.

I have found Psalm 31 to be very helpful in this. In verse 2 David prays, “Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me”. Then in verse 3 he says, “Since you are my rock and my fortress….” At first I thought this sounded like double-talk: Be to me a rock because You are my rock. Then I realized that David is saying, ‘I have chosen You to be my rock: now be that for me in my situation right now. Be to me now what You are.‘Isn’t that great?

Be to me what You are, You are my best love–be that to me now, for I need that today. You are the water of life–be that to me at this time, because my soul is thirsty.”

———————————————–

My prayer from some descriptions of God in the Bible:

Yes, Father–be to me what You are…

My Abba-Father–my Daddy who couldn’t love me more than You already do. I love being Your daughter!
My refuge, my fortress, my deliverer, my strength, my all in all
My Great Physician, my healer, my protector, the lover of my soul
My Living water, my bread of Life
My salvation, my forgiver, my intercessor, my cleanser of all unrighteousness
My life
My fount of every blessing, bind my wandering heart to Thee…
My source, my hope, my peace, my joy, my Savior
My sin-bearer. You paid the penalty for all my sin when you died on the cross for my sin and were raised from the dead.
My key to Heaven through simple faith in what You have done for me
My inheritance, my provider
My giver of every good thing
My strong tower of safety
My contentment and satisfaction
My giver of all wisdom
My quencher of every thirst I’ll ever have
My counselor and friend
My sun and shield
My redeemer
My king
My creator
My giver of Eternal Life--a free gift I could never earn or merit or deserve--it's all wrapped up in placing my faith in what Christ did for me
My good shepherd
My Bridegroom
My ever-present help in time of trouble
My beloved

My everything!

Yes, Father–be to me what You are…

Paula O

01-08-2013, 04:44 AM

Oh, that we might know the LORD!
Let us press on to know Him.
He will respond to us as surely
as the arrival of dawn or the
comings of rain in early spring.

Hosea 6:3

Paula O

01-09-2013, 05:08 AM

2 Timothy 1:7

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Paula O

01-10-2013, 05:32 AM

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Copied and pasted from http://www.cancerpatientadvocate.com/ (http://www.cancerpatientadvocate.com/)

“Dear friend, I wish you well on your-or your loved one’s-journey with cancer.
I wish you a heart that has found the right attitude-a positive, realistic attitude.
I wish you a mind that has found peace-by replacing worries with better thoughts and by focusing on the present and not on the “what-ifs” of the future.
And I wish you a soul that has found hope-a hope based on the God of all Creation, who gives life true meaning.
God can make blessing come from cancer when God and cancer meet, but we have to let Him choose the blessing.

On the fifth anniversary of my cancer surgery, I wrote the following poem summing up what my journey with cancer has taught me:
When your world is crashing down around you, trust Him.
When what is unfolding doesn’t make sense, trust Him.
When you see no light at the end of the tunnel, trust Him.
When your silent tears spill down, trust Him.
When the pain refuses to subside, trust Him.
When your heart screams, “Why?” trust Him.
When you have more questions than answers, trust Him.
When the devil tells you otherwise, trust Him.
When it’s the last thing you feel like doing, trust Him.
When there’s simply nothing else to do, trust Him.
Be encouraged: God can be trusted in all things . . . even cancer”.

Paula O

01-11-2013, 03:24 AM

"Jesus Christ is able to untangle all the snarls in my soul, to banish all
my complexes, and to transform even my fixed habit patterns, no matter how deeply they are etched in my subconscious" Corrie ten Boom

From 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Meyers (p. 74):
"I'm so grateful, Lord that the Christian life is not a rigorous
self-improvement course or a do-it-yourself kit...that it is not a call to
prove myself or improve myself by overcoming my own shortcomings and
failures, in my own way, by my own resources. Thank You that, instead, You are at work in me and in my situation to break old patterns of thought and action, to create within me both the desire and the power to do Your
gracious will...and to make me a joy to You in new ways".

There is none like Thee, O Lord; Thou art great, and great is Thy name in
might. Jeremiah 10:6

Paula O

01-15-2013, 06:44 PM

There is a "Night of Hope & Healing" for Newtown organized for TONITE (Tuesday)in Bridgeport, CT.
The venue, artists, musicians, etc. have all donated their time for this concert. It was advertised as FREE and with 10,000 seats available it was completely booked within 2 hours. Seats were reserved for Sandy Hook Elementary School victims' families if they wanted spots. It is not a fundraiser, but a ministry to the people of CT.

Artists include Stephen Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, Toby Mac..... Max Lucado, MaryBeth Chapman...... others.

The concert is available Live Stream Tuesday night starting at 6:30PM Eastern Time. I don't know how long the live streaming is going on--I just heard about it.

Here is the link:
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/327121/NightofHopeHealing (http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fnew.livestream.com%2Faccounts%2 F327121%2FNightofHopeHealing&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGoSLPUyK27gYoW3qJkM5qpIhohEw)

Paula O

01-16-2013, 08:08 AM

Last night at the concert (link shared above) the Chapmans shared their story of the death of their five year old when she was hit accidently by her 17 year old brother driving. Here is part one of a multiple part Larry King Live interview of the story of this dear family and how they are coping with this nightmare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ySghBeUuNM
It's a story of courage and faith and applicable to dealing with all sorts of hard blows in life, like cancer.
Paula

Paula O

01-17-2013, 01:28 PM

http://faithlifebible.com/giveaway?utm_source=[list_]&utm_medium=email&utm_content=getitnowbtn&utm_campaign=fsbgiveaway2013

Passing along an offer...
"We’re giving away 2.5 million study Bibles—get yours now!

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"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, oh Lord."

Paula O

01-19-2013, 06:46 AM

I was looking over some old notes I took when listening to a James MacDonald’s CD that a friend loaned me when I was going through treatment: ”Always True”: about some of God’s exceedingly great, magnificent, and precious promises in His Word that He has made to those who are His children. These are some of the highlights/DIRECT QUOTES (not my thoughts)that were a blessing to me from the series:

(Part 1)
2 Peter 1:4

New Living Translation (NLT)
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises....
2 Peter 1:4

Amplified Bible (AMP)

4By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

His promises are like diamonds hidden in a mountain of gold.

Promise: A declaration of what someone will do. The character of the person is on the line. God NEVER breaks a single promise.
I am an heir of God’s promises as His child.
Promise #1: I will not fear, God is ALWAYS with me.

Hebrews 13:5-6

New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”[[B]a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%2013:5-6&version=NLT#fen-NLT-30206a)]
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”[b (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%2013:5-6&version=NLT#fen-NLT-30207b)]
Deuteronomy 31:6

New Living Translation (NLT)

6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
No one can fathom His greatness:

Psalm 145:3

New King James Version (NKJV)
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable

God is a promiser by nature. His Word is brimming and overflowing with promises. It’s an assurance God gives His people so they can walk by faith as they wait for Him to work. God tells us “I can and I will.”
Hebrews 6:18

New King James Version (NKJV)

18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb%206:18&version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-30059a)] have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Psalm 119:140

New King James Version (NKJV)

140 Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
Psalm 145:3 His promises are great, they come from a great God.

New King James Version (NKJV)

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.

God’s plan is about the person He is making me into. His plans are all good.:
Jeremiah 29:11

New Living Translation (NLT)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good (wholeness) and not for disaster (evil), to give you a future and a hope.

A person resting in the promises of God has a great life no matter their circumstances–they are resting in His truth. Do you think God is going to disappoint you? Let you down? No way! He always has the final word.

Jeremiah 32:27
New Living Translation (NLT)
27 “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?

Paula O

01-22-2013, 02:03 AM

Promise #2 : I will not doubt, God is ALWAYS in control
(continuation of notes I took awhile back and me checking some different Scripture translations while listening to the James MacDonald CDs “Always True: Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises”. The direct quotes are his, not mine.) I have listened to a few of his CD series and they were very good. Here is a link to some of his free broadcast archives: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/walk-in-the-word/listen/ if anyone is interested. The "Always True" series is archived and available to listen to in the January 2011 section.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
Psalm 34:8

New Living Translation (NLT)

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

HIS WAY is the safest, fastest, smoothest road to the best possible destination. (My conclusion: when I want my way instead of His, it causes needless detours, u turns, etc.) God sees every detail of my situation and I can trust Him.
God invented truth. He IS truth.
Doubt is the soil fears grows in and is the cause of emotional roller coaster rides.

God WANTS me to test His promises, put my full weight on them. God invites me to test Him and see if He is faithful. If I will do what is right and honor God I can walk by faith, wait on Him, wait on Him to work.
Hebrews 6:19

New Living Translation (NLT)

19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
Hebrews 6:19

Amplified Bible (AMP)

19[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot [a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%206:19&version=AMP#fen-AMP-30062a)]break down under whoever steps out upon it–a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil,
Lord, every good gift comes from You.
(From James 1:7)
----------
My personal take-aways :
God wants a mutual, personal, intimate heart-to-heart relationship with all of His creation. Every person has a free will and can embrace or reject Him: it's totally our choice.
God may answer "yes", "no", or "wait" to my prayers. His priorities are bigger than my health, comfort, or what I figure must be best. His perspective is coming from an eternal one, not a temporal one. "He is God and I am not."
I will not doubt or be afraid because God is in total control. God will help me to be brave and strong in Him.
If God wasn’t going to use Her2 positive breast cancer, pain, and disappointment in my life, none of them would have happened. He is sovereign over all and absolutely trustworthy.
I will “taste” and see that He is good. Every day. ALWAYS and no matter what. He has pure joy, hope, and peace that passes understanding that has nothing to do with circumstance or emotions for all those who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 139:17-18

[B]17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139:17-19&version=NLT#fen-NLT-16232a)] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!

Because of God, I do not have to live in a world of emotional yo-yos and roller coaster rides. I can snuggle up in His love and rest and trust.

God invites me to check out all His promises that He has made to His children, test them out for myself, put my full weight on them, see that they are true because they ARE true.. God never lies. He is never mistaken. He is always faithful. Even though I fail and am not always faithful, I can count on Him 100% always.

My hope in Christ is the sure and steadfast anchor of my soul. It is firm, secure, and I can count on God NEVER to fail me, NEVER to leave me, NEVER to forsake me.

God still is in control when things aren’t going the way I think I want them to be going. His timing is different than mine and His timing is always on time.

I will choose to lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with ALL my heart and mind and not rely on my own insight or understanding. In all my ways I will know, recognize, and acknowledge Him and He will direct and make straight and plain all my paths.

“The same everlasting Father
Who cares for you today will take care of you
tomorrow and every day.
Either He will shield you from suffering,
or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace then and put aside
all anxious thoughts and imaginings.”

Paula O

01-25-2013, 05:30 AM

Promise #3: I will not despair, God is ALWAYS good

(continuation of notes I took and me checking some different Scripture translations while listening to the James MacDonald CDs “Always true”. The direct quotes are his, not mine.)

Romans 8:28

New Living Translation (NLT)

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208:28&version=NLT#fen-NLT-28105a)] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28

Amplified Bible (AMP)

28We are assured and know that [[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208:28&version=AMP#fen-AMP-28143a)]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
———————————
Psalm 27:13

King James Version (KJV)

13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13

New International Version (NIV)

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

13 [a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2027:13&version=NASB#fen-NASB-14299a)]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
——————————–
3 Accelerants to despair:
1. Surprise: no idea it was going to happen, didn’t see it coming
2. Severe: A big thing in your life
3. Settled/or the enemy telling us it’s a settled matter. “It’s all over”.

It is a good place to come to when we can’t do one single thing to “fix things” except to wait on God. Our part: just believe Him. His part: the rest. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. “Be still and know that I am God.”
Everything God does in my life is for my good. EVERY one of His “no’s” is a MERCY.
A.W. Tozer got a “degree” in suffering.
Psalm 100:5

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

5 For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:5

New Living Translation (NLT)

5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
——————————

Psalm 145:9

New Living Translation (NLT)

9 The Lord is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
Psalm 145:9

New King James Version (NKJV)

9 The LORD is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
————————————
Things I gleaned/thoughts that were a special blessing to me:

God is always good to me. He showers me with compassion and tender mercy.

Every single “no” to my prayers is a mercy, full of His wisdom

I do see and will continue to see His goodness while I am alive and in the land of the living.

The way things are going does not need to make sense to me. I will not despair, God is ALWAYS good, loving, kind, faithful, and right in all He does and allows.

I will not despair over the cancer, over the pain, over the treatment I wish I didn’t need to be doing,.. over anything else. This is all temporary stuff, all “momentary and light afflictions” with an eternal purpose and some of the hardest things I am going through are really special blessings from God. I just don’t always recognize the beautiful gifts He has for me because I get fooled for awhile by the way the “presents are wrapped”.

All the “exceedingly great and precious promises” in the Bible, the “diamonds in mountains of gold”, that are God’s treasures for me personally. How very rich and blessed I am in Christ!
Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have EVERYTHING I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the dark valley of death,[a (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2023&version=NLT#fen-NLT-14215a)]
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.

I had posted the above in my blog while I was going through treatment and was having a great deal of pain from nerve damage from the surgery and my friend Nita responded with this:

"I think there is a fourth acclerant to despair, and that is getting our eyes off God and forgetting that He is in control and does all things well. And when we are in pain, it is very challenging to keep our eyes on Him. We are drawn to the pain.
Yesterday I read something to the effect that since God has already worked out an amazingly wonderful answer to our greatest problem – sin – we can trust Him to work out an amazingly wonderful answer to our other, smaller problems.
I’ve been chewing on that and finding it a blessing because my problem with sin is not just in the past, it is also in the present. I have daily problems, but my biggest daily problem is my tendency towards sinful responses to those problems. I bet I am not the only one.
And God has provided the answer through the Gospel which rescues us from the penalty and the power of sin. How wonderful that we can count on His presence and His help as we face all our problems, including the biggest one!"

Paula O

02-04-2013, 06:03 AM

Promise #4: I will not falter, God is ALWAYS watching

(continuation of notes I took/my journalling while listening to the James MacDonald CDs “Always true” when I was going through chemo. The direct quotes are his, not mine.) Hope the truths are a blessing and encouragement to others here as they are to me.

Titus 1:1-2

1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time

Isaiah 43:2

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.

God’s hand is on the thermostat, His gauge is on the depth of water. I don’t know what I can handle but He does. His goal is to change and mature me and bring honor to Himself. I can take more than I think I can–He is the One providing me with the strength I need.
<H3>1 Corinthians 10:13

13 No temptation (another word is “trial”) has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. He will always make a way of escape at just the right time. He gives encouragement to persevere, gives wisdom to do His will, He can pull me out of the fire/out of the flood waters at just the right time.

God’s promises are activated by faith.

Wrong views of God watching:

1. Some think God is watching like a resentful parent. He is not.
Zeph 3: He rejoices over me with singing. He is “at the front of the balcony, cheering me on”

2. He is not “watching like a hawk”, swooping down on every vulnerability, waiting to pounce on every mistake

Psalm 103:14
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

He knows the things that are hard for me. God wants me walking in victory and has all the resources for me to do that. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.

3. He is not like a crabby church lady sitting in the balcony, critical eye and wagging finger at kids she is watching below, cranky, never happy with anybody.

Psalm 40:2 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+40:2&version=NLT)
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,out of the mud and the mire.He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

The goodness of God leads me to repentance. He redeemed me, set me free. He can not love me more than He already does–I am loved with an everlasting, perfect love.

4. He is not a cantankerous boss: “Hey, get to work, time is money.”
God is the most loving, gracious, benevolent parent, interested in my well being

He sees it all.

Proverbs 15:3

3 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good
Searching for people to bless. He is especially focused upon and attentive to His own.
2 Chronicles 16:9

9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
I am precious to God in ways totally disproportionate to the person I am. He knew me before foundations of the world (Ps 139)
---------------------------------
Lord, every good gift comes from You. These are some of my gifts from You from these pasages/study:
(From James 1:7)
God is watching me as a loving Daddy watching the apple of His eye–focused on me with eyes of compassion, plenteous in mercy, rejoicing over me with singing, gracious, tenderhearted and I have the joy and privilege of being His beloved daughter. Nothing I am going through escapes His attention. He knows everything about everything. Nothing is too hard for Him. He can do anything. He has promised me that he will work all things together for good in Romans 8:28.
Isaiah 43:2 Even though this passage has a different context , I can glean the heart of God toward me too. His eye is on the thermostat of this fiery trial. Even though it feels very hot at times, I am not going to get burned up. His eye is on the gauge of the depth of water in this flood. The water is not going to go over my head. I am not drowning even though it feels like waves are crashing over me at times. He will help me catch my breath, tread water, and float on my back and rest when the water is too deep to walk through. He will not give me more than I can bear. He will show me a way of escape when I am tempted to sin, when I feel like giving up, when things feel too hard. At some point God will say “That’s enough” and this trial will end–maybe on earth, maybe in Heaven. He can completely heal me in a snap anytime He wants to, however He wants to. He will provide every bit of the strength I need to persevere and walk in His victory while He wants me on this earth, then after that He is going to take me Home to Heaven in His perfect time. I already know the end of the story and my future is bright no matter what happens.
From Isaiah 43:4 : “You are precious in my eyes, honored, and I love you.” He feels like that about every one of His kids, me included. I am loved with an everlasting, perfect love and am so grateful to be His.
————-

</H3>

Paula O

02-07-2013, 05:28 AM

"Nothing you could ever experience, no matter how terrible or frightening, could ever separate you from the love of God. No tribulation and distress you might ever suffer could be so intense that God's love for you is not even more fervent. No persecution could be so painful that God's love cannot bring comfort. Famine might starve you of food, but you will never hunger for the Father's love. Poverty cannot strip you of God's compassion, just as even death itself is incapable of robbing you of your heavenly Father's infinite love.

If you base your view of God's love on your circumstances, you will become confused. There may be times when you will ask, “How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?” You may begin to question what you find clearly stated in the Word of God. God promised that you would never be separated from His love; He did not say that you would never face hardship, persecution, poverty, or danger. If you doubt that God could love you and still allow you to experience difficult experiences, consider the life of Jesus.

If you allow the death of Jesus on the cross to forever settle any questions you might have about God's love, you will approach difficult circumstances with confidence. Knowing that there will never be anything that could separate you from God's perfect love, you will watch to see how God expresses His love in each circumstance. Don't ever judge God's love based on your circumstances. Instead, evaluate your circumstances from the perspective of God's love."
--Unknown Author

<H3>Romans 8:35-39</H3>New Living Translation (NLT)

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

MikeF

02-07-2013, 03:00 PM

Rom 8:38-39 have been my favorites for a long time. Thanks for the reminder Paula

Paula O

02-17-2013, 06:15 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewKtSKbWZUI
Part 1 of 5: message by Louie Gigleo "Indescribable"
The other parts are also available on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAzCP8SEKwc
"How Great is our God"

Paula O

02-21-2013, 04:55 AM

The Bend in the Road

Author: Helen Steiner Rice

Sometimes we come to life’s crossroads
And we view what we think is the end.
But God has a much wider vision
And he knows that it’s only a bend-
The road will go on and get smoother
And after we’ve stopped for a rest,
The path that lies hidden beyond us
Is often the path that is best.
So rest and relax and grow stronger,
Let go and let God share your load
And have faith in a brighter tomorrow-
You’ve just come to a bend in the road.

These are some quotes from the book “A Bend in the Road” by David Jeremiah (who is a cancer survivor) that were meaningful to me:

“No matter how sharp the bend in the road, no matter how disruptive the moment (those unanticipated events, most of which one would usually have chosen to avoid had it been possible), everything that happens to us is for the eternal purposes of God. He is training us through the process. Like any worthy parent, He wants to teach us what we cannot learn any other way.”

“As an old man, looking back on one’s life. it’s one of the things that strikes you most forcibly–that the only thing that’s taught one anything is suffering. Not success, not happiness, not anything like that. The only thing that really teaches one what life’s about–the joy of understanding, the joy of coming in contact with what life really signifies–is suffering, affliction.”
–Malcolm Muggeridge

“God, You have allowed this in my life. I don’t understand it, but I know that it couldn’t have happened to me unless it was filtered through Your loving Hands. So, this thing is from You.”

“The Father is never closer to the vine than when He is pruning it.”

“We all ask ‘why’ questions. They’re a natural part of being human. But we can ask better questions–we can ask ‘what’ questions: ‘What
Lord? What would You have me to do? ‘What are You trying to teach me?’”

“I didn’t sign up for this! I know that I sang, ‘Wherever He leads. I’ll go’, but can’t we at least check the weather report first? How could He lead me into a storm like this one?’
Just cling to the knowledge that you could be in no safer place than a storm of His making. You are safer and more secure in the tempest with Jesus than you could ever be in the calmest place without Him. That calm, you’ll come to realize, is an illusion, and the storm is for a good purpose and a short duration.”

“You can choose to lift up your eyes to the heavens, pour out your tears, grief and anger and say “God, I have no clue what this is all about or where it is leading, but I resolve to trust You and praise You with all of my heart, unconditionally.
He will not abandon His work on you – of which your trial is a part (read Isaiah 49:15-16)
There’s no need for me and God to stay up all night. God will be awake anyway so I need to go to bed and get a good sleep. (Psalm 121:3-4)
You will be faced with a trial and God will give you 2 gifts: A scripture for your mind and a song for your heart
There is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has come past God, and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose.
“God, You have allowed this in my life. I don’t understand it, but I know that it couldn’t have happened to me unless it was filtered through Your loving Hands. So, this thing is from You.”
We become preoccupied with our circumstances but God is preoccupied with our character.”

My crisis is important to God. He is using it to make me a more valuable servant in His kingdom.

The only road that leads to the destination God desires for us has sharp bends.
Life is difficult, but difficulty is the only path to wisdom. “

----------------------

I will choose not to be fearful of any bad news now or to come. My “today” and my future are all HIS. I will trust my precious Lord to care for me and my family. IN CHRIST I am confident, steadfast, fearless, triumphant. (gleaned from Psalm 112:8)

Psalm 112:8

8 They are confident and fearless
and can face their foes triumphantly.

Paula O

03-01-2013, 04:29 AM

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=974&stc=1&d=1343476418
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Paula O

03-15-2013, 02:07 AM

When You Have One of Those Days {or Weeks or a whole lot more} (http://p.feedblitz.com/r.asp?l=74300074&f=870840&u=25300773&c=4561243)

By Holly Gerth
http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=870840

http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/39018568/0/holley.gerth http://holleygerth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/photo-by-moonlightbulb.jpg (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/870840/25300773/4561243/feeds.feedblitz.com/~/t/0/0/holley.gerth/~www.flickr.com/photos/moonlightbulb/7063291131/sizes/l/) photo by moonlight bulb

“No big deal,” he says with a flash of his exceptionally white teeth. I so want to believe him. I’m here to have gum grafting–a procedure defined as “minor” in the dental world. Sure enough, I survive. Whew. But I’m not the same for the next week. I cling to my couch like it’s a life boat, have a lifetime supply of frozen yogurt and watch Food Network shows about everything else I can’t eat.
And during commercials, I battle the whispers. The ones that say, “You should be over this by now.” Or call me names I haven’t heard since the elementary school playground like “Wimp” and “Weenie.” I roll my eyes. Seriously? I just had dental surgery and there’s still some part of me that thinks I should just snap out of it?
You’ve had this happen too, haven’t you? Life sends you a hard day,or week (or way more) and even though you know you should just give yourself a break you wind up being hard on yourself instead. {If it’s just me who does this, pretend along with me, o’kay? Thank you.}
So let’s talk about what we can do on those days, friends.
First, we can remember we are not our circumstances. Our identity doesn’t change based on what happens in our day-to-day lives. I’m the same to Jesus when I’m sitting on the couch watching Food Network as I am when I’m standing on a stage speaking to women. I’m His girl. You’re His girl. Forever. Done and done.
Next, we can choose to be on our own side. We’ve talked about this before but it’s worth looking back on when we have hard days. When the Apostle Paul asked, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” it was meant as a rhetorical question. But I realized there’s one person who can be against me. It’s the one staring back from the mirror. God is on your side so you need to be too. Otherwise we’re siding with the enemy. Yikes. Enough said.
Also, we can do whatever we can to not make it worse. That means taking care of ourselves, asking for help, giving ourselves permission to rest or to do what we need to to be renewed. I’m bad at this, ladies. Here’s how bad: as I snoozed on the couch during my recovery I had a dream I was playing volleyball {can you guess what’s coming next?}. I went for a low ball and smacked myself square in the jaw in my sleep. Oh, yes, I did. You may go ahead and giggle now.
Most of all, we need to know that we’re not the only one who goes through times when we feel small and weak and think we should be over it already and we’re just not. We’re all good at putting on a brave face and acting like’s whatever we’re facing is “no big deal.” But you know what? It IS a big deal. To us. And to God too. Because He loves us. And when you love someone, what matters to them matters to you.
So when we have one of those days, let’s be gentle with ourselves. Okay? Yes, ma’am. Now I think I’ll have some more frozen yogurt to celebrate that decision…"

<HR>

Paula O

03-23-2013, 03:29 AM

In the Shadow of Your Wings: From a series of free on-line devotionals for Breast Cancer Patients

By Sue Sewell
http://bible.org/article/shadow-your-wings-devotionals-encourage-breast-cancer-patients
“When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:14 (https://net.bible.org/#!bible/Ephesians+3%3A14)–19, NLT).
It’s Cancer

"It’s beginning to settle into my head now. They say I have cancer. I don’t feel sick. I don’t look sick. But apparently I am sick. I am now beginning to wage war on an enemy that I cannot see. It is a ravaging enemy, and I will remember at all times that I am at war. I can cry, but I must remember this is an enemy that will take no prisoner if given the option. I must gather up all the ammunition I can carry and fight with zeal. I know that all of my tomorrows have changed because of this enemy. That doesn’t mean I have no tomorrows, only that they will be different. I am now a part of a new sorority/fraternity. I have a common bond with others who have gone before me, and those who will come behind me. If I forget I’m at war, I will be tempted to surrender to fear. Satan finds his greatest strength is planting the seed of fear in my heart.
I begin today practicing putting Christ in control of my every thought. In Christ I have hope, not fear. I am walking hand in hand with my Lord down a difficult path. I walk with Him because I know I can trust Him. I know that He will not reject nor neglect me. I know that He alone has the strength I need to face the unknown circumstances of tomorrow. He alone will reach down, gently put His arms around me, and pick me up. He will carry me when I can walk no more.
My emotions overcome me with dread of the unknown. They roll over me like the swells of the rising tide. I remind myself that there is no sin in my emotions. This is the way God has made me. When I feel sad and despairing, I remind myself that what I know is more important than how I feel. I call on the Scriptures that I have hidden in my heart. My emotions are totally unpredictable: changing without warning. But what I know is God is immutable— never changing-the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In Him alone can I trust."

Paula O

03-25-2013, 04:50 AM

"God Will Help You to Endure" (Option of audio and written transcript on the "Revive Our Hearts: Calling Women to Freedom, Fullness, and Fruitfulness in Christ" website)
https://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/revive-our-hearts/god-will-help-you-endure/

"We give God our inadequacy, our weakness, our inability to deal with pressure, and God gives us His strength, His grace, and the ability to do what God wants us to do—to put down the next foot, to get to the next bend, to get around the next bend, and to keep going.
Paul says in chapter 2, verse 1 to Timothy, “Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy). God’s grace infuses us supernaturally with strength that we would not have apart from His grace."

Paula O

03-29-2013, 03:46 AM

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAv62GRfu_0&feature=youtu.be
Is Jesus Just a Crutch?

Paula O

04-27-2013, 05:11 AM

There's a neat little book that I've enjoyed, "The Red Sea Rules: Ten God‐Given Strategies for Difficult Times

Here are some notes somebody took:

http://www.pacecumc.com/lessons/RedSeaRules.pdf

Paula

SusanN

04-28-2013, 05:50 PM

Hello Paula!!
I am so thrilled I came along this thread!!!
I truly don't know how I would make it through some of my deepest fears...moments...on & on if I didn't have God and His Promises in my life...

A couple of my favorites...

Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." NIV

1 John 4:4 "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." NIV

Blessings!!

Paula O

04-29-2013, 05:25 AM

How nice to hear from you, Susan! It's sure wonderful to have a Bible full of the promises of God that we can always count on no matter what. Thanks for sharing those verses. I like what Kenneth Wuerst said about Phil 4:13 (also one of my favorites) that you mentioned, "I am strong for all things in the One who constantly infuses strength in me."

Blessings backatcha, :)

Paula

P.S. I see in your sig line that you recently started chemo. How are you doing/feeling? I just lifted you in prayer.

SusanN

04-29-2013, 11:42 AM

Thank You for praying for me Paula!!

Actually, this past Thurs, I had quite a scare as I was infused with Benadryl...BEFORE Herceptin...

The FIRST time I had my initial "dose" of Herceptin, I was given benadryl capsules...slower release...yet I would get dizzy & experience heart palpitations, high BP...my nurse assumed I was having "panic attacks"...had 2 more weekly Herceptin infusions with "capsules"...had to ask her to slow, then stop the the IV...

Finally, we talked to my oncologist, he wanted to rule out Herceptin side effects/panic attacks by having me wear a heart moniter...so, we decided to drive an hour away to another treatment center where he was...and better care...
THANK GOD, as when I was infused with the Benadryl BEFORE the Herceptin, within minutes, I got dizzy, heart palpitations, my BP soared, I couldn't catch my breath...my body started twitching...it all lasted nearly 20 minutes...I was given ativan...was able to calm down and finish my entire chemo!!!

So, thankful for my mom, praying...my compassionate nurse, the doctor who was right there...I even asked him to pray!! :)

I wore a heart halter home, for 48 hours, had some palpitations...will have an echo tomorrow...

However, I AM TRUSTING GOD IN ALL THIS...!!!!

That was my 2 treatment...am feeling just weak...other than that...so far, okay!!

Thanks soooo very much Paula!!!

Sorry if I didn't make much sense...:(

Paula O

04-30-2013, 03:41 AM

Hi Susan

I'm sorry that you went through that reaction, that must have been hard. I hope the ECHO turns out A-OK and the rest of your treatment goes smoothly.

This morning in my reading:

Psalm 27:14

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Paula

Paula O

05-12-2013, 05:40 AM

Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.

As I wake up to Mother's Day 2013 my heart is full of thankfulness for my three precious children and dear husband. I am so grateful.

This song is beautiful and is the prayer of my heart for my kiddos::

"A Mother's Prayer" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoy74orJu10

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Happy Wonderful Woman Day to all the
other ladies!

Paula

Paula O

06-02-2013, 05:59 AM

"In my distress I cried to the Lord,
And He heard me."
Psalm 120:1

SusanN

06-02-2013, 08:40 AM

Good Morning Paula!!
May 20th had my 3rd treatment...whew...delayed reaction...(which was good) as I was able to be "physically" strong for my son's HS graduation May 25th!!
However, just about that evening and into the next 4 - 5 days...I was HIT hard...soooo weak, tired...no appetite...

I was receiving Herceptin once a week when I started, however, the nurse didn't seem to have quite enough knowledge as to my side effects of the chemo's at the local clinic I first started going to.

After having spoke with my Oncologist, we decided I could have my Herceptin/Taxatore/Carbo all together where I could be more closely monitored, etc.
It's at a hospital, with WONDERFUL medical staff...we drive an hour just the 21 days to get or more if needed (I'm sure people drive MUCH further), however I feel so grateful & blessed for the the personal way they take are of me...God truly is taking care of ALL my needs!!!

He will allow "trials" in this life...to show us we NEED Him!!!

Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Blessings!

Paula O

06-03-2013, 03:01 AM

How wonderful that you were able to feel well enough to really enjoy your son's graduation, Susan. Neato on God's timing of the delayed reaction! :) I'm so glad that you switched over and are getting excellent care for your treatments. You are half way through chemo, coming closer and closer to the home stretch of having chemo behind you and moving onward towards rebuilding vibrant health --wooohooo!

This morning I read these thoughts:

"There is an ongoing battle within me between my pursuit of happiness and my desire to have joy. Although joy may produce happiness, the two are not interchangeable. Joy is always available. Happiness is dependant on circumstance. Our Maker created us for joy, yet we can’t produce or manipulate it. That’s the rub. I’m made for joy, but I spend my days chasing after happiness.
“The difference between shallow happiness and a deep, sustaining joy, is sorrow. Happiness lives where sorrow is not. When sorrow arrives, happiness dies. It can’t stand pain. Joy, on the other hand, rises from sorrow and therefore can withstand all grief. Joy, by the grace of God, is the transfiguration of suffering into endurance, and of endurance into character, and of character into hope – and the hope that has become our joy does not (as happiness must for those who depend on it) disappoint us.” Walt Wangerin
"...God leaves his fingerprints all over my day, if only I’ll have the eyes to see them. I’ve been created with a voracious appetite for joy, yet I spoil it by snacking on pleasure, convenience, and whatever promises relief from pain. Rather than retreat from the darkness that can be present in life, I want to lean toward it. To see the gift of the moment. To receive and embrace what has been given to me rather than longing for lesser gifts.
"...At every turn, grace awaits discovery. The spider is spinning, the flowers are bursting into bloom, and the earth and all its inhabitants are proclaiming that there is hope. One day, everything sad will finally come untrue. The sun will rise for the last time, and will forever dispel the shadows that temporarily hinder our vision. Everyday, we’re offered a glimpse of that eternal joy. At times, it’s glaring brightly for all to see. Yet at others, we may need to lean in toward the shadows. As the eyes of our heart strain to see the miracle of grace, it’s not through panes of glass that we peer. It’s through the shadows cast by two pieces of rough, blood-stained timbers. Through the eternal intersection where death and life gave birth to hope. We have access to the hope that will not disappoint when we’re willing to “Look closer… it’s just hidden in the dark.”

Excerpts from:
http://greenertrees.net/2012/05/29/joy-in-the-shadows/

"Endurance" popped out at me and I did a word search" at www.BibleGateway.com (http://www.biblegateway.com/) and found these verses:
Romans 5:3 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5:3&version=NLT)
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
Romans 5:2-4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5:2-4&version=NLT) (in Context) Romans 5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Romans%205:3)
Romans 5:4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5:4&version=NLT) And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Romans 5:3-5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5:3-5&version=NLT) (in Context) Romans 5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Romans%205:4)
Colossians 1:11 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1:11&version=NLT) We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,
Colossians 1:10-12 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1:10-12&version=NLT) (in Context) Colossians 1 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Colossians%201:11)
2 Thessalonians 1:4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Thessalonians+1:4&version=NLT) We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Thessalonians+1:3-5&version=NLT) (in Context) 2 Thessalonians 1 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Thessalonians+1&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/2%20Thessalonians%201:4)
2 Thessalonians 3:5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Thessalonians+3:5&version=NLT) May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:4-6 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Thessalonians+3:4-6&version=NLT) (in Context) 2 Thessalonians 3 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Thessalonians+3&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/2%20Thessalonians%203:5)
2 Timothy 3:10 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Timothy+3:10&version=NLT) [ Paul’s Charge to Timothy ] But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance.
2 Timothy 3:9-11 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Timothy+3:9-11&version=NLT) (in Context) 2 Timothy 3 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Timothy+3&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/2%20Timothy%203:10)
Hebrews 6:12 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+6:12&version=NLT) Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
Hebrews 6:11-13 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+6:11-13&version=NLT) (in Context) Hebrews 6 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+6&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%206:12)
Hebrews 10:36 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10:36&version=NLT) Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Hebrews 10:35-37 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10:35-37&version=NLT) (in Context) Hebrews 10 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%2010:36)
Hebrews 12:1 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12:1&version=NLT) [ God’s Discipline Proves His Love ] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12:1-3&version=NLT) (in Context) Hebrews 12 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%2012:1)
James 1:2 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1:2&version=NLT) [ Faith and Endurance ] Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
James 1:1-3 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1:1-3&version=NLT) (in Context) James 1 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1&version=NLT) (Whole Chapter) Other Translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/James%201:2)

SusanN

06-04-2013, 07:47 AM

WONDERFUL TRUTH Paula!!! Thank you for sharing such great insight on JOY with me from such a way I NEED to "grasp" it...and know it as you explained it...I know JOY, yet the way this author explained it between happiness and obtaining Joy in Christ...YES!!

I've been reading this book..."Hope is Contagious' by Dr. Kenneth Hutherson...excellent!!!

Blessings to you!!

Paula O

06-08-2013, 03:01 AM

Susan, got any gems from the "Hope is contagious" book you can share? I haven't read that book (sounds good!) and I'd love to hear some quotes that were meaningful to you if you have time to pass some along.

How are you feeling this weekend?
Paula

Paula O

06-08-2013, 03:02 AM

"Life comes at us with flying fists: job dismissals, pink slips, divorce court and disease. We are prone to wonder, “Will I get through this?”
The repeated and resounding promise of the Bible is this: “Yes!” It may not be quick or easy, but with God’s help, you will get through this. God has resources to help you.
Years ago, my wife Denalyn battled a dark cloud of depression. Every day was gray.
Her life was loud and busy–two kids in elementary school, a third in kindergarten, and a husband who didn’t know how to get off the airplane and stay home.
The days took their toll. Depression can buckle the knees of the best of us, but it can be especially difficult for the wife of a pastor. Congregants expect her to radiate joy and bite bullets. But Denalyn, to her credit, was never one to play games.
On a given Sunday, when the depression was suffocating, she armed herself with honesty and went to church. If people ask me how I am doing, I’m going to tell them.
She answered each, “How are you?” with a candid, “Not well. I'm depressed Will you pray for me?“
Casual chats became long conversations.
Brief hellos became heartfelt moments of ministry.
By the time she left the worship service, she had enlisted dozens of people to hold up her arms in the battle of prayer.
She traces the healing of her depression to that Sunday morning service. She found God’s presence amidst God’s people.
Do you need to do likewise? Tough times stir the hermit within us. We want to hide out, run away and avoid human contact. In reality, we need community. Lean on God’s people. Cancel your escape to the Himalayas. Forget the deserted island. Be a barnacle on the boat of God’s church.
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Mt. 18:20 nkjv)
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Would the sick avoid the hospital?
The hungry avoid the food pantry?
Would the discouraged abandon God’s Hope Distribution Center? Only at great risk. His people purvey His presence.
Moses and the Israelites once battled the Amelekites. The military strategy of Moses was a strange one. He commissioned Joshua to lead the fight in the valley below. Moses ascended the mountain to pray. But he did not go alone. He took his two lieutenants, Aaron and Hur.
While Joshua led physical combat, Moses engaged in a spiritual one. Aaron and Hur stood on either side of their leader to hold up his arms in the battle of prayer. The Israelites prevailed because Moses prayed.
Moses prevailed because he had a community to pray with him.
You need the same. You’ll get through this dark season.
And you’ll get through it much quicker with the help of God’s church.
Perhaps it’s a difficult promise for you to believe. After all, who can understand your struggle? Who’s been in your shoes and seen the depth of your pit? You fear the depression will never lift, the yelling will never stop, the pain will never leave. Will this gray sky ever brighten? This load ever lighten? Deliverance is to the Bible what jazz music is to Mardi Gras: bold, brassy, and everywhere. Take Hope: You will get through this."
You’ll Get Through This (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849948479/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0849948479&linkCode=as2&tag=holyexper-20) 2013 by Max Lucado, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Releasing September 2013, pre-orders available at Amazon.com, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849948479/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0849948479&linkCode=as2&tag=holyexper-20) BarnesAndNoble.com (http://goo.gl/D8pDz) and CBD.com (http://goo.gl/T9WOp).

Paula O

06-09-2013, 03:14 AM

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3771/8889523855_5d427565ce_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/21570503@N03/8889523855/)

Paula O

06-12-2013, 04:02 AM

Below are direct quotes by Stacy from http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/ (http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/) :

“Today, will I surrender my fears, my future, my what ifs, my life to the God of the heavens? The sovereign one with whom there are no accidents. With whom truth gives way, shining its light on the very core of my fears. With whom His very Word, that which we can hold in our fingertips, and take into the inner places of our beings…..brings hope, love, truth, comfort, encouragement, courage, forgiveness, healing, strength and endurance…and the ability to surrender to Him.”
--

“My mind settled on the morning and the beauty of women gathering together to study God’s Word desiring to grow closer to their Savior. Of the wisdom that was shared as we looked at God’s order in the home. And as my mind bounced from one thought to the next, it was quickly interrupted as I heard these words coming from the back seat…

“The Lord will fight for you.” Exodus 14:14

“Is that right, mom?”

Am I saying this right?

And as I quickly peered around the seat, there was Jeddy holding up this bookmark from Children’s Ministry. In his “just learning to read curiosity” and adorable little voice, with determination at getting the words right and pure pleasure in accomplishment….He needed some validation that he was in fact reading the words correctly.

What he didn’t know was in that moment, God was using my little boy to speak directly to my heart.

That those words, were words that have flooded my mind for the last 6 months, turning over what it means in my “fight against breast cancer.”

Trying to fully understand God at His word and wrap my mind around this battle that I’m in knowing that I really and truly can’t “fight” it. This cancer. It’s too big and I’m too little.

At least not fight the way I’m told to by the world.

This battle is not mine. I’ve said it before.

This cancer has too many tentacles and unknowns. It was my deepest fear for 38 years. CANCER. The 6 letter no one ever wants put together in a sentence where your name is involved.

The disease that as doctors say, “isn’t considered curable for 5 years from diagnosis, because it is a disease that can strike later with a vengeance.”

And all around are the words, “Fight breast cancer.” My goodness, there are even pink boxing gloves made for women fighting this disease. As much as I love pink (and I do, it is my favorite color)….I don’t want boxing gloves, nor do I know what to do with them and the 6 letter word.

And so as Jeddy’s sweet voice came from the backseat, asking the most childlike question….

“Mom is this right? The Lord will fight for you?” holding up his bookmark….God was answering the question that I have held at the forefront of my prayers.

I grabbed for my Bible on the passenger seat next to me and asked Jeddy to tell me again where that was. I needed to read the context. I needed in that moment to see the words on the pages of the one book that is alive and sharper than any two edged sword because right then and there is was cutting through my joint and marrow, my soul and spirit, just as Hebrews tells us the Bible does. (Hebrews 4:12)

So with my legs steadying the steering wheel and one eye on the road and the other on my Bible, I went to Exodus 14:14 (note to others….do not recommend doing this while driving, but I was not to be contained in that moment.)

And here’s the story of Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea. I’ve read the story a thousand times. My eyes have gazed over these verses and these words. But today they held a deeper meaning. Today they came alive to this woman whose body is tired and chemo has just worn out the physical me. To a woman that really doesn’t want to fight the way I have the better half of my life. In my strength, my way, pushing to get to the other side. I’m not engaging in this battle this way. I can’t. It is too exhausting.

And as Moses has just lead the Israelites out of Egypt, a land of oppression, from a Pharaoh they were enslaved to, to a future that offered no hope in their human eyes…..before them lay the massive Red Sea. Under them the ground was probably shaking as the hooves from the horses and the wheels of the chariots came fiercely across the ground in the distance, quickly approaching. To say they were pressed on every side would be an understatement. Can you imagine the fear that was rising within them. A battle was ensuing, a battle for their lives, their future, their livelihood..

A battle that resounds within me.

But God knew as He could see into their hearts.

And guess what Moses told them to do……Stand Still! The Lord will fight for you!

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13-14

And what did God do, He parted the Red Sea. He delivered them. He brought them to the other side. He fought the battle and He won..His way. Those Israelites, they were ready to go back to Egypt. The battle was too much. The journey too long. The end, not seen. And I imagine, they were tired.

But God says, this battle is mine. Watch me deliver you. Believe I will deliver you. All I ask is that you stand still. Stand firm. Not in human understanding, but in ME.

This same message is throughout God’s Word. It is there when the Israelites came up against the Amorites crying out that they were ‘greater and taller, the cities were great and fortified.’
They saw their enemy with their eyes and they were scared. And Moses tells them

“Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you,
He will fight for you.”Deuteronomy 1:30

And then he gives the most beautiful picture of God as a Father carrying His son, never letting him down or letting him go.

That’s what God’s battlefield looks like.

That is what God does for each of us. He fights the battle. He takes down the enemy and He is victorious and in the process He desires to show Himself strong & faithful for us…for you and for me.

The battle, the fight needs to be put into the proper perspective.

It isn’t about us winning. It is about the glory of God being seen. His character. His faithfulness. His salvation. His deliverance. His love. His grace. His mercy. His magnificence.

And when we put down the weapons of this world and pick up faith in Christ Jesus, there is victory.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God….” 2 Corinthians 10:4,5

And I look at David…as he was going to fight Goliath, Saul tried to adorn him with armor….worldly armor…a coat of mail, a heavy helmet, a sword….and as David tried to walk, he couldn’t. It was heavy, cumbersome and ill fitting. David, taking off that armor, told Saul that it hadn’t been tested. It hadn’t been tried.

David was a boy that sought after the Lord. He knew that the battle was the Lord’s. He knew a God that didn’t disappoint and that came through strong. God had more to show than a boy defeating a giant. God was to show His strength in the weakness of that boy.

David drew 5 small, smooth stones and placed them in his pouch. And He stood before Goliath. He didn’t charge at him. He stood and used the weapons that God had given him….God’s almighty power and strength.

We know how the story ends. Goliath went down.

But we see in the end, David’s heart on the matter. David’s heart toward God.

“That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all the assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:46,47

That the glory of God may be seen. That all the earth would know there is a God and He delivers.

And God goes on in Ephesians to give us the armor that we need as the battles ensue around us. As war is waged against us and we pass through the valley of the shadow of death.

These are spiritual weapons, because whereas our battles might appear to be physical, they are spiritual. As Satan wants to take us down and in the process take God down.

But God has won. And He tells us to grab hold of the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the sword of the Spirit, the belt of truth, shield of faith and the shoes of the Gospel of peace. Pray in the Spirit, be watchful with perseverance….and STAND in the Lord and the power of His might.

How hard, right? Just to stand still and let God fight for us. We are a world of doing. Of bringing about action and results. But God says to stand still and let the power of the Lord rest upon us. To see what He is going to do. That doesn’t mean that you do nothing. It means that you humbly follow hard after Him and let Him direct your steps. Seek His wisdom and understanding, as David did as he drew those stones from the brook.

The battle is the Lord’s and we are to Stand firmly in Him. Who we know Him to be and He will show His power through us, strengthening us and fighting the battles for us.

And the victory….the victory is that in this battle I have the peace of God that passes understanding, I have joy, I have love, I have strength and I have power….all of which are God’s and are in me as I am in Christ Jesus.

He is my hope. Not the chemo, not the surgery, not the radiation, the doctors, the supplements, the nutrition, the drugs…..my hope is in Christ alone. As I sought Him, He showed me these treatments are part of His plan for me, but ultimately, He will do the healing. All I can do is take care of this body as a servant of the Lord. Care for this temple. He will bring me, as He did with the Israelites, to the other side. I pray for healing, but either way I know that I am alive, whether here on this earth or in the presence of the Lord for all eternity.

Back to those words spoken from the mouth of my 6 year old boy…..

“The Lord will fight for you.”

“Mom, is this right?”

You bet, my sweet boy….He will!! “

Paula O

06-12-2013, 04:04 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtNzOpKvPfw
Song: “If You Want Me To” with lyrics

Paula O

06-13-2013, 04:01 AM

The below thoughts are quoted by Stacy http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/

"...And that is why God said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6,7
“When the thoughts want to battle emotions and the emotions want to take control of our thoughts….we have to leave them at the foot of the cross, allowing God’s truth to permeate and stand guard. He takes the coin as it is tossed in the air, catches it and says ‘It is finished. In Me there is peace. Apart from me there isn’t. Remain in Me.’Emotions aren’t bad in and of themselves, nor our thoughts and understanding….but when left alone, outside of Christ’s Truth, havoc ensues.My heart and mind need to be guarded right now, especially as my body is weak and my thoughts play tricks on me.
And so God, once again, in His gentle, perfect and loving way, swooped in and met me right where I was reminding me of His love and sovereignty. Reminding me to come to Him and rest my head. Reminding me that in Him is peace like a river ready to flow over my soul.
This morning, the new light is dawning as He is once again relieving the pain, renewing and restoring.
I don’t need to understand….just trust…in trusting Him there is peace. ”

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

“And the pendulum continued swinging as my mind went to the getting on with life, while laying down the fears that the “getting on with” encompassed. Wanting in some strange way to just stay in this place a little longer because the “getting on with” it means waiting. The “getting on with it” means questions remain unanswered. “The getting on with it” means trusting God at the deepest level I have ever experienced. Will I live to see my children get older? Will I suffer at the hand of this disease? Will my husband grow old without me by his side?Will I trust God with it all?My head knows all the Bible verses. This isn’t my first testing. It is one of many. And what I have found is that God uses each one to carve out fear deeper and deeper so that the word of God may be implanted in its place. A heart surgery of sorts….not laparoscopy, not catheterization, but true open heart surgery.
But head knowledge isn’t enough. Hence the surgery. Hence the walking it out. The testing.
You know faith isn’t stagnant. You are either walking forward, standing still, or falling backward.
I want to move forward. And so my heart needs to align with my head. The Truths that I know, as I live them out."

SusanN

06-13-2013, 12:40 PM

Hello Beautiful Paula!! AMEN...what TRUTH AND VICTORY HERE!!!!

I'm sorry I have not gotten back to you...things have been a bit busy., but, the good news is, I am doing well...GOD IS FAITHFUL!! 4th treatment done as of this last Monday!! YAY!!!

I shared on fb, the wonderful quote you shared from Walt Wangerin about "Joy, by the grace of God, is the transfiguration of suffering into endurance, and of endurance into character..."
I went on into the rest of it...
I LOVE to share on "FAITHBOOK!!" I was soooo surprised when my cousin, who is a Lutheran Pastor commented that Walt Wangerin is one of his favorite authors!! :)
What I've been going through, has brought a lot of my family much closer, God will do what He has to do...!!

Then, JUST today, I was thinking about how when there is NOTHING else to do...in the word, it says, JUST STAND...PRAY...and you had the scripture RIGHT here!!!

Also LOVED again, one of my favorites...how Moses was in the battle grounds, there was Aaron & Hur who held up his Arms in the battle of prayer!!

Thank you Paula for LIFTING MY DAY WITH GOD'S TRUTH & VICTORY!!!

I'll share some from "Hope is Contagious" soon...

What I've really loved is doing Beth Moore's studies throughout the years!!!

Blessings to you!!

Paula O

06-14-2013, 04:13 AM

You are more than halfway done with chemo now Susan--just two to go, yipppeee! I'm glad you are doing well.

I like Beth Moore too and have found her books very encouraging.

Here's another blog enntry/direct quote from Stacy
http://hiswaynotmine.blogspot.com/ :

“I will do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD…..I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places, and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:11, 36

“While at church Sunday morning, a lady came up to me to see how I was doing. We began talking and she asked me a pointed question. A question that was unexpected. A fully loaded question, at that. One that gave me a moments pause as a smile crept across my face.
“Stacy,” she asked, “I am always intrigued when someone goes through a trial such as yours. Tell me, what did God teach you?”
I laughed inside thinking this lady probably didn’t want to pull up a chair and hear the long version. So I thought for a moment on my big take home message of this faith journey. There was so much He taught me and continues to. What was God hammering into this vessel of His? How was I being shaped and transformed? What was being rooted out only to be replaced with more of Him? What beauty was He bringing from the pieces?
I gently responded from where my faith had been exercised…..”Live in the today. Trust God today. Gaze into His eyes today. Respond to Him today. Worrying about tomorrow wastes what God has to offer us today. Savor today, as you savor Him. He will take care of each of your tomorrows. Believe Him today and walk from that believing.”
A simple message. But a truth He needed to plant more deeply in the soil of my heart, thus this season of testing…..this breast cancer journey. It had purpose and continues to.”

Paula O

12-02-2013, 05:46 AM

Advent Devotionals: Week 01. Hope (Video for Dec 1, 2013)
www.aholyexperience.com (http://www.aholyexperience.com)

SusanN

12-08-2013, 03:23 PM

Hi Paula!!

Thank you for sharing this!! It meant so very much to me!! Praying you are doing well!! Unbelievable, I'm almost near the end of my treatment...I will finish my year of Herceptin the end of March or first of April as I "sat" in the chemo chair April Fool's Day!!

Amazing what God has brought me...and our family through...He is so Faithful...!!!

Paula O

12-10-2013, 05:06 AM

Hooray for you almost being done with treatment, Susan. You're on the home stretch now, yipeee! :)

Here's the link to the Advent 02 Peace devotional video: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/12/advent-devotionals-week-02-peace-video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HolyExperience+%28Holy+Experi ence%29

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."
2 The 3:6

SusanN

12-10-2013, 07:04 PM

Ahhhh....God IS about Intimacy...Perfect Peace!!!

Huge Blessings Paula!!

SoCalGal

12-14-2013, 10:49 PM

I find this thread very inappropriate to our site.

Paula O

12-16-2013, 11:47 AM

I was glad to read your happy news of "NED in da head" in your updated sig line. Hooray! That's great! If I knew how, I'd post Snoopy doing a Western Swing "happy dance" in celebration. :)

You said in your last post that you feel this thread is very inapproprite for this site. May I share my heart in the most cordial and respectful of ways that those who find the thread topic, "For those interested: Scripture through the Her 2 Fight" of interest, that they click on the posts but if not, they simply refrain from doing so. I know that this site is intended for the sharing of info and questions, education,and mutual support and encouragement and that not all threads appeal to everybody.

About a year ago you expressed this same opinion here in this thread and I shared back then:
>I'd like to suggest in the friendlinest of ways, that there is plenty of room on this board for a variety of threads, including this one. Surely folks can either choose to read and contribute to a thread if they are interested in the topic but simply not click on it at all if they don't want to read about a particular subject or perhaps simply would prefer not to read what a particular poster is writing.

There is sadness, fear, disappointment, and loss that we may feel in our own journeys as well as heartfelt sorrow when our fellow Her2 Positive sisters face very hard battles with cancer or when one of our members passes away. We cope with stresses in lots of different ways. Many people find a great deal of hope and comfort in God and the Bible. I sure do. I am happy to pass along and contribute to the group what I personlly consider to be encouraging and helpful beit free resources for those with cancer, humor, interesting articles, songs, quotes, or Scripture. My sincere desire is to be a blessing.

Chrisy responded to mine and your replies with:

>I don't know if I would claim to be "overseeing" the board, although I do have the POWER to delete spam or any other thread:)

I agree with Flori re avoiding political discussions - they quickly get hot and divisive and unhelpful. Over the years we've had very few occasions where Joe had to shut down political discussions and that has always been one of the "house rules" of living in Joe and Christine's home.

I think the same could be true of religious "discussions" or controversies, which we have not really encountered very much, in fact I can't really think of any in the 8 years I've been here. I'd hate to see that too.

I think that is very different tho from sharing inspirational messages or quotes, including this thread which is biblical scriptures. I personally find this thread a super helpful gift and really appreciate the work that has gone into sharing these. I also really like that "scripture" is referenced in the thread subject so that those who want/need this can easily find it (vs. searching through a more generic "inspirational quotes" thread) and those who are not interested or do not find it helpful can equally easily avoid or ignore it.

Although I do see your point about where do we draw the line, Flori. To me the difference is a quote from the dalai lama or other religious sources is likely to be helpful to some members; ads for cialis or links to porn are far less likely but maybe that's just me!

I especially love the respect and grace with which we as the her2support family express ourselves and respect each other-Brenda was a champion at this. This is the only online site on which I have EVER posted because I never felt safe on the sites notable for their "flame wars". You know who they are.

I love you all. You know who you are, too."
--Chrisy

Chrisy and I spoke on the phone multiple times in the two years before she passed away. You've known her much longer than I have. I appreciated her friendship and miss her as I imagine you and many others here do too. After your comments in this thread last year she referred me to the many hits on this particular thread (I just checked and as of today there have been 4,385 hits on this thread) and she said something along the lines of , "Paula, it wasn't me alone who clicked all those times on this subject line and found the Scripture and thoughts helpful. I think we should have this thread continuing to be available to whoever wants to read it. and those who don't should simply not read the thread." I agree. She also moved the thread to the "Keeping your mind off breast cancer" section at the suggestion of another member which I thought was a great idea. There are lots of references throughout the thread to others battling breast cancer and dealing with adversity and finding comfort, hope, and encouragement from Scripture during tough times. There are many breast cancer survivors that find this topic highly relevent both in their perspective of life and death.

I am sincerely hoping that both you and I , along with the group as a whole here can allow each other a supportive, gracious, positive, non-judgemental space to allow for both differences and similarities in the way we each journey through our own personal battles with cancer including resources we find helpful.

I'm a peace lovin' gal that cares about the feelings of others and I imagine you are too. Let's please not you or anybody here take offense or make this a negative point of contention in the group. Simply do not click on what you do not find helpful but surely there is room here to allow others to do so if they wish.

Paula
P.S. You look great in your updated avitar. That's neat that you are having so much fun dancing! I know you've been through some rough stuff and wish you only the very, very best.

SoCalGal

12-16-2013, 01:15 PM