Sunday, August 13, 2017

#38 My grace is sufficient (August 13, 2017):

Today's entry is not about any type of medical update or any other information about what has been going on recently related to my health issues. At the end, I will share with you a couple of prayer requests. However, for right now I simply would like to share with you a few things that are on my heart today. This entry is not meant to be about me. I simply want you to see how God's grace is truly sufficient and is the only way sometimes that gives me strength in the mornings to get up. I have said before that I cannot imagine traveling this journey without the grace of God.

As I have mentioned before and many of you already know who know me well, playing the piano has been a very important part of my life for many years. Often times when I have been discouraged or anxious about something I would go to the piano and just play whatever was on my heart at the time. It became a time for me to not only talk to the Lord but for HIM to speak to my heart as well.

I also have played the piano at my church.  This video clip that follows was something I played when I was in college during my senior recital. I had been working on this last summer again to simply freshen it up (college was a while ago). This would likely have been one of the next songs I would have played as an offertory/special. It has now been over a year since I have played the piano.  Unless God chooses to work another miracle, which HE has and is still doing on a regular basis, my piano playing is likely not going to happen again on this Earth. However, I imagine one day that God will have a special room in heaven with a beautiful grand piano at which I will sit down and play like I have never played before.  Perhaps this will be one of the first songs I play.




Today was such an encouraging time to be in God's house. HE used the time to remind me of a few things. We started the service out with the following song, the words of which I find very encouraging and very appropriate for this journey that I am walking and perhaps for a journey you may be walking as well.

Through It All

I've had many tears and sorrows,
I've had questions for tomorrow,
There've been times
I didn't know right from wrong:
But in every situation
God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come
To only make me strong.

Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

I've been to lots of places,
And I've seen a lot of faces,
There've been times I felt so all alone;
But in my lonely hours,
Yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus let me know that I was His own.

Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

I thank God for the mountains,
And I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms
He brought me through;
For if I'd never had a problem
I wouldn't know
That He could solve them,
I'd never know what faith
In God could do.

Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

God certainly has used this experience to draw me closer to HIM and remind me to rely more on HIM, to find my strength in HIM, to not be quite so wrapped up in myself, to put my trust in HIM, to be thankful for what I have, the list can go on and on and on but I'll stop with that for now.

All of that is certainly not to say that I have learned all that I need to learn, or become what HE wants me to be. I am certain there is more that HE still wants to teach me; more that I still need to learn.

Thank You, Father, for your grace and strength for each new day and some encouragement from YOUR Word today!!

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)


Prayer Requests:
  1. Strength as this double chemo makes me really tired.   Thankfully, the second chemo is only taken Monday – Wednesday which makes the rest of the week better.
  2. August 28th (starting at 9:45 – in Tampa) MRI, lab work and follow-up visit with the doctor to see how the treatments are working and where we stand at this point.
  3. A possibility of a new device that MAY help me walk better, but there will be insurance issues to deal with.  However, God has worked beyond insurance already with other issues.
  4. Continued work at home to do therapy shown to me by the physical and occupational therapists to improve my left side mobility and strength.
  5. Please pray for Kenya and the violence that has broken out through protests over election results.
  6. My family as they do so much for me.  They are my support system and do a lot physically for me.

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