61 MEDICAL UPDATE (Feb 8) - His Strength is Still Perfect

The first section of this entry will only make sense to those of you who have been in this geographical area.  If not then skip ahead to the**. This won't make any sense if you are not familiar with the area. There is a road called highway 60 that we take for part of our trip to Tampa.  This road is always a thoughtful part of the trip for me.  It’s the road I took in the ambulance on my first trip to Tampa when this entire journey began.  On the way over there today, there were some traffic delays.  That particular route to Tampa can take you past a place called “Dinosaur World”. My mom said she was certain that one of the dinosaurs had gotten out of “Dinosaur World” and caused the traffic jam.  My suggestion - find the humor and enjoyment in life, where you can. The trip over had been relatively quiet and thoughtful until that comment.

If you're reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about, ignore this part and just move on to the two stars** below

  

** Here's where the seriousness continues:

UPDATE:

Thursday I walked into the clinic, with no yellow bracelet, surprising a lot of the staff.

Thursday was also my Dad’s birthday and while so many people were going on about me walking in, one nurse went down to the coffee shop and bought us all a muffin and juice to celebrate his birthday while we waited for the doctor.

I will, never, according to modern medicine and my doctors hear, ”Your cancer is in remission.”  I realize God is able to do anything.  He still baffles me and others around me and works miracles.  The fact I'm still here and on my own two feet is evidence that He is still able to do miraculous things.

However, the news was not what we were hoping to hear from the doctor:

There are more spots growing both where the first tumor was and also in some new places.  The doctor again said he did not really understand because normally people aren't doing as well as I am as the tumor begins growing again.  He was surprised as were so many others by my walking into the clinic for my visit today.

However, to check on things we are going to rescan next month and see where we stand.  The doctor also said there would be no more surgeries.  According to him there are now a number of different spots that make more surgeries difficult if not impossible.  The same goes for radiation. So back to Moffitt next month for another 

MRI and doctor visit to see if we need to do something different.  Until then I will continue with Optune and the chemo (both of them).

I'm still trusting God for His perfect will and strength to face each new day.

God is still good and in control of all that happens in my life.  I only hope and pray I give even just a portion back.  I know I can't meet up with even a small part of what He has done for me.  But I hope my life shows a little of His grace, mercy and love for me.

Thanks for your prayers today.  We all needed them and will need more in the days to come.

PRAISES:

Physical/emotional strength for each difficult day.

**Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life in general.

My trips to the stop sign at the end of the road are still “Painfully” slow in many people’s eyes.  However, they are getting better, and I WILL continue to make them.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (I realize I keep posting the same requests, but they are still relevant/needed.  So, I’ll continue posting them, but I’ll try to add a marker if it’s something new.  No promises that I’ll remember to do that every time.)

Extra fatigue from medication and other changes in how my body responds to treatment and changes. 

So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Still working on paperwork for various devices to assist mobility as well as insurance matters.

**Next MRI and doctor visit March 15.

A few more thoughts from Friday morning – Where do we go from here?

One day at a time, looking up for strength and an ability to move ahead moment by moment. Hoping to make a difference in someone's life and make my Creator proud.   Will I get it right from here on out? No, but I will try with my hand held tightly in His.   So, from this point on don't judge my heart too seriously. You may catch me on a down day. Doesn’t mean I've stopped trusting in God. Just means my humanity got in the way and I'm having a hard day or moment. In the meantime, I will still laugh when my mom talks of dinosaurs causing traffic jams or I may continue calling myself "Flash" as I "speed" down the road to the stop sign.  Mostly, I pray my life means something to those around me.

Thanks for the prayers for Thursday, especially those praying for the walk into the clinic (that was important to me) and for safety there and back today and grace to hear the news. Yes, I walked in and walked out. God gives strength when we need it.

I'm telling you all this because the more people who know what's happening, the more they will pray and I and my family can certainly use the prayers. Here's a song for today the Lord brought it to my mind this morning as I contemplated getting out of bed.

If you see me out in the store, at church or anywhere. You just be you, I’ll just be me.  Nothing has changed if we start talking and tears come up, it’s OK, life is hard sometimes. But God is good, despite our imperfections and the hard times we face.

The previous verse and following Scripture was on my mind this morning was the previous song while I was contemplating getting up for the day God brought both of them to my mind this morning.

“Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” - Psalm 62:8

60 His Mercy is More

I was thoroughly blessed in church this past week.  The entire service was such an encouragement.  Let me share a couple of thoughts with you.  If you want to hear a blessing, find Southside Baptist church on Facebook and watch the message.  Click here for the link.  You’ll be encouraged.  Anyway, here are a few thoughts that struck me from the service with a few of my own thoughts tagged on (First, read Psalm 25):

• “Explanations don't take away the pain, only the presence of God.”  It’s not about why did God allow this thing to happen in my life but how can I praise HIM through it all?
• “The only way out of a situation, is through it.”
• We don’t need explanations as to “WHY?”  We just need God’s presence.  (My words – “We can only experience that through a personal relationship with God.”)
• Don’t let God be missing in your life. My words - “He’s the only way I can face a new day or another MRI or in general any difficult day.” “He’s the only way I sit here today, typing this entry.”

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

Here’s a song from after the service: (His Mercy Is More by Matt Boswell)

 These thoughts blessed my heart this week as I look ahead to another scan and doctor visit to see where we stand now in this journey.

It’s not poor me. Look what’s wrong in my life.  It’s about, “How can I praise Him for all He has done and continues to do, no matter the journey ahead.”

PRAISES:

Starting to gain back more strength after several difficult days.

**Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life in general.

My trips to the stop sign at the end of the road are still “Painfully” slow in many people’s eyes.  However, they are getting better, and I continue to make them.

A two-week break starting this week from the chemo.  That means a nice little break as we head to the next MRI.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (I realize I keep posting the same requests, but they are still relevant/needed.  So, I’ll continue posting them, but I’ll try to add a marker if it’s something new.  No promises that I’ll remember to do that every time.)

Extra fatigue from medication.  So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Still working on paperwork for various devices to assist mobility as well as insurance matters.

Next MRI and doctor visit Feb 8.

**I’ll get back to you on my trip to Moffitt with an update in my next entry.

God is still present, still good. He will help us through hard times.

59 WHY??

WHY??

Hang around kids long enough and that is what you will hear most often.  I imagine that is what God hears a lot from us.  Why my job, my health, my friendships, or other relationships, etc.

Well, I don't know why any of the things in my life have happened, but I know they have prepared me for what came next.

Learning how to respond to one incident in life helps me prepare for the next one.  Learning how to handle malaria helped me be better prepared for the next stomach virus, which helped me be ready for the next health issue.  Learning how to handle one relationship issue helped me handle the next one. I thought a malaria headache was tough, until I woke up from brain surgery with a drain coming out of my head.  Learning how the brain works through my post graduate studies in psychology has helped me understand more about what my own brain is doing. 

I also thought I knew what grace was all about, until I was told by doctors what my future, medically-speaking was going to involve.  I also thought I understood grace, until I needed it like I never had before.

Unfortunately, my days now often look alike.  I used to be at church on Sunday starting with Sunday School/Bible Study then morning worship followed by the evening service.  Monday started the work week at the high school.  Wednesday was Awana night at church with the kids.  Thursday began the count down to the weekend and all the jobs I needed to catch up on.  Now my days and weeks have changed a lot and its actually kind of difficult to keep up with either one. I currently find that the Sunday morning worship service is about all I can handle right now at church during the week. 

 It's also difficult to keep track of what I write in these posts.  So, I am just going to continue to share day by day what transpires in the life and times of Debbie Stamper and how God's grace is sufficient.  This takes me back to the beginning of this entry. 

 Why?

Well, I don't know why, but I know Who walks beside me today, tomorrow and the next day.  The first half of any verse I learned at a young age or even just yesterday might be just what I needed today.  The second half may be just what I need tomorrow. The point is that He Who began a good work in you or me, will keep working if we will just stay open to what He has for us.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: - Philippians 1:6

So why?  I don't know now, but I will one day.  Until then I just need to keep trusting Him and letting those verses flood back into my mind even if it is at 5am when this Optune machine is beeping at me about something.  Maybe God just wants to remind me of His work in my life. 

PRAISES:

Starting to gain back more strength after several difficult days.

Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life 

in general.

My trips to the stop sign at the end of the road are still “Painfully” slow in many people’s eyes.  However, they are getting better, and I continue to make them.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (I realize I keep posting the same requests, but they are still relevant/needed.  So, I’ll continue posting them, but I’ll try to add a marker if it’s something new.  No promises that I’ll remember to do that every time.)

Extra fatigue from medication.  So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Still working on paperwork for various devices to assist mobility as well as insurance matters.

Next MRI and doctor visit Feb 8.

**Here is the reason behind the walking to the stop sign. Every time I’ve been to Moffitt, the walking has been an issue.  Moffitt is a large facility and it’s difficult to get around when you walk as slow as I do.  Anyways, every time I’ve gone in there, I have done so in a wheelchair.  That means getting a yellow band on my arm indicating that I’m in a wheelchair.  Well, I want to walk in for once (no armband).  This next visit, I have several places to go and just walking around from one place to the next, would take all day.  I’m going to go in there in a wheelchair, so we aren’t there all day, but then I’m going to remove the yellow arm band and walk into the doctor’s clinic area.  I really just want to go in there once without the yellow armband.  Once we get close enough I can make it down the hallway to the clinic area, we will “lose” the armband and wheelchair and I will walk the rest of the way to the clinic area. That will be a first.  Call me crazy.  It’s just another “because I can moments.”

58 BEDTIME STORIES

I am so grateful to first, attend a church where there is such an emphasis on worship, which is evident regularly every Sunday.  This past Sunday, our pastor preached on the Old Testament King David.  Of course, he made mention of the story of, “David and Goliath”.  That brings me to the second thing I am grateful for this week.  That’s a family who placed a strong emphasis on learning from God’s Word.

When I was a little girl and it was time to go to bed, my Dad would spend time reading stories to me, sometimes his own version of classic stories, sometimes teaching me Bible stories like that of David and Goliath.  We would also memorize Bible verses. After I learned some of these stories and verses, I would share my “accomplishments” with my Mom and brothers.  One of my favorites was David and Goliath.  Of course, when I told the story, “Goliath fell down dead and died.”  I’m not sure how I assumed he would be falling down dead, and then die.  Anyway, I’m glad God is still fighting giants for His children, no matter what they may look like.  He’s fighting an awfully big one for me right now and He fights smaller ones on a daily basis.

A passage of Scripture that encouraged me this week has been:

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. – Psalm 121

Now in Florida we don’t lift our eyes to any hills.  But I have seen a few from my travels to other countries and across America.  Of course, this is a view of Mt. Kenya that I often saw growing up.

I had the privilege of hearing the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir sing in New York a few years ago.  Here is one of their songs that also has been an encouragement this week:

PRAISES:

Safety, and strength for each new day.

Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life in general.

**My trips to the stop sign at the end of the road are still “Painfully” slow in many people’s eyes.  However, they are getting better and I continue to make them, although a stray Florida shower soaked us  this week one time.  But it was still a nice walk as were the dry clothes once we got home. Welcome to Florida weather.  You never know when a random shower will pop up.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (I realize I keep posting the same requests, but they are still relevant/needed.  So, I’ll continue posting them, but I’ll try to add a marker if it’s something new.  No promises that I’ll remember to do that every time.)

Extra fatigue from medication.  So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Still working on paperwork for various devices to assist mobility as well as insurance matters.

Next MRI and doctor visit Feb 8.

**Continued progress toward walking to the stop sign and back – I believe it’s helping to build strength and it’s just really nice out, when it’s not raining. :)  There is a reason behind all this walking, perhaps next entry I’ll explain the next step.  It has to do with February 8th.

56 The Little things

God thinks of the little things to quiet/still my heart.

Before the last scan God arranged for my brother, Doug, and his wife, Donna, to be here all the way from Kenya. Nice distraction leading into another run of tests and doctor visits, which always tend to create some anxiety, despite the fact I know He has everything under control.  Well, He's done it again, lined up another visit from family right before the next scan. Coincidence??  No!! That's how my God works to say, “I love you, Debbie Stamper”.  I called this “The Little Things” because in the whole scheme of life, they are little.  However, to a heart in need, God makes them a priority. Because to that heart in need, they are a priority and I love that I am a priority to an almighty, all-powerful God.

A song that encouraged me this past Sunday at church was ‘Tis So Sweet.  Particularly this verse:

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain:

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

There is another song that continually runs through my head.  I mentioned this in #47.  But here’s the rest of the story.  This song continues to be an encouragement. 

 In 2000, “Commissioned” the singing group I travelled with while in college went to Kenya on a short mission’s trip.  My mom went with us.  While there, we received a phone call informing us that my dad who had stayed in America to keep some preaching engagements as they were on furlough at the time, was quite sick.  Later, we would find that he, too, was going to face his own battle with cancer, losing one kidney and part of the other.  Well, on the way to the airport to head back to America, one of the ladies in the group began singing this song and it continues to be an encouragement to me on a regular basis.

PRAISES:

Safety, and strength for each new day.

Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life in general.

On Saturday of last week, I walked to the stop sign, mentioned in my last post.  Yes, I was tired but it was good for me and I intend to do it again soon.  Every time I do, it will get better and faster.

A wonderful friend of mine here in Sebring gave me what’s called an e-stem device.  It has these little plastic/rubber pads you place on your skin.  The wires attached to the pads plug into a machine that sends electrical current to the area.  Depending on where I place the pads, the device will cause my fingers or wrist to move.  The other day I was using the machine to move my fingers and it made my fingers move like they used to while playing the piano.  It was not by my effort, the machine did it all, but it was nice to experience that sensation again. I still find myself playing in my head while people at church play for the offering, playing along sometimes with my right hand. But the other evening, when all this movement was going on it was as if God wanted to remind me what it felt like to have my left hand join the "party".  Coincidence?  No!!  That’s my God again saying, “I love you, Debbie Stamper”.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (Many of these remain the same, but are still relevant/needed.)

Extra fatigue from medication.  So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Still working on paperwork for various devices to assist mobility as well as insurance matters.

Next MRI and doctor visit Feb 8.

55 LESSONS FROM THE DOGS

Last entry, I talked about trying to understand others a little bit more. Well, here may be a new one, I now understand my dogs a little bit better. Since I was a baby, my family has had dogs, some were pets. Once we moved as a family to Kenya, the purpose switched from just being pets to being security.  When I got old enough, I began taking over much of the obedience training.  I did a lot of research, read a lot of books and tried a lot of things.  I declared some things were not good ideas.  I feel I did a fairly good job with dogs and basic obedience and a few fun tricks with dogs ranging from a 3-pound Poodle that one visitor one day, mistook for a rat in the house, to Rhodesian Ridgebacks, German Shepherds, Dobermans, Schnauzers and other mixed breeds. There have only ever been two I feel I failed with. They are pictured below.  Spike and Chloe currently live in Kenya with my brother, Doug. Their purpose is security and while they do a good job of that, their basic obedience I failed at before I left Kenya.  Sorry Doug.   Now Sophie (here in America) is an entirely different story because of the abuse she experienced before I got her, but even she has come a LONG way.  I feel successful with all the dogs I worked with in obedience training (except these two).  However, there has always been one thing that has baffled me.  How do dogs get so tangled in their leashes?  Well, now I get it.  I went out on Tuesday of this week for some lab work.  Before I could get that done, I was so twisted in my cords, from the device I wear on my head (Optune), just from getting out of the car that my brother, David, had to come over once we got inside and straighten me out.  I thought in that moment.  “This must be how the dogs feel when they get all wrapped up in their leashes.”  You never know what you’ll learn when you go out.

Here’s Spike and Chloe when they were young, innocent and cute:

Here they are now:

You may find my humor odd that I am amused by understanding more about how dogs get twisted in their leashes and feeling the same way, myself.  However, we all need to look for amusement in frustrating situations and enjoy life.  It passes by too quickly and we miss lessons or times of joy.  Now, let me share a verse that encouraged me this week.  Despite the steps I do or do not take forward, everything I do is a gift from God, every breath, every laugh (even if at myself), every walk down the road, every day in which I may need an extra nap.

I pray my life shows that at all times.  It’s not about me; it’s about HIM.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. - 2 Corinthians 4:7

Find something to smile about when life gets hard, you may just make someone question what’s different about you.  What an opportunity to talk about the Lord.

PRAISES:

Safety, and strength for each new day.

One thing doctors continue to check is regular lab work to ensure blood levels are where they should be.  I continually hear.  “Your lab work is great, keep it up.”  I have had very little sickness, apart from the chickenpox in November 2016.  With all the chemo, I am very susceptible to catching just about anything. Thankful for protection from all those germs out there.

I’m also thankful for the local lady who draws my blood here in Sebring, so I don’t have to travel to just get lab work done.  She is so friendly and encouraging, notices my progress physically in walking and is very skilled at her job.

Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life in general.

On Monday I walked partway down the road. Something I haven't done since around last Easter. I went to the neighbor's property line which is actually two properties down, as there are two empty lots between here and there. Next stop will be their mailbox. Cancel that, on Thursday, that was a success. Now the next step is the stop sign at the end of the road. But for today. I'll take what I can get, since it's another step in the right direction.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (Many of these remain the same, but are still relevant/needed.)

Extra fatigue.  So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Next MRI and doctor visit Feb 8.

54 TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN (BEGUN NEW YEAR’S EVE)

This is the time of year when we tend to look back on the previous year at what we did or did not accomplish, reevaluate and make plans for trying again the following year.  Growing up, I often heard, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”  Well that’s not exactly how I would describe this past year, though it seems to have flown by.  It was a year ago January 13^th that I woke up from surgery #2 in the ICU unable to move anything on my left side. Two days before, I had walked a mile with Sophie and rode my bike 5 miles.  Now it takes several minutes sometimes to get from the front door of the house to the car which sits right in front of the house.  However, I can get there.  So many other people did not see the beautiful sky that I did today, nor did they have the opportunity to be encouraged by God’s nor did they hear the beautiful music this morning at church like I did.

Verses like:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5, 6

Songs like “Though it all”

Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.

As I look back on 2017 I have been reminded of something my Dad has talked about in reference to his 1982 climb of Mt. Kenya (Point Lenana – 16,000+ feet).  He says one of the most difficult parts of the climb was the scree”.  Here is a definition:

“A mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain.”

My dad says you take 2 steps forward and slide 1 step back. That’s a lot of how I would describe this past year.  Right before my surgery in January, I had almost recovered the use of my left hand and was beginning to play the piano a little, then I woke up in ICU from surgery unable to move my foot or hand in any direction.  A few months later in June, I had surgery #3, at which time I was told, I would likely loose ALL mobility on my left.  However, friends, family, my wonderful church family of Southside Baptist Church (in Sebring, FL) and complete strangers jumped in and started praying in earnest and God performed a miracle again.  I’m still walking and have some use of my left arm.  Now when I say some, I do mean SOME, but SOME beats NOTHING.  I am thankful for lessons God has allowed me to see through these experiences.  Have I been discouraged? SURE!! Plenty of times. But I can see God’s hand through all of them, even if only to remind me He’s got everything under control and that I need to be more understanding of others.  You never know what they have been or are currently facing.  I sit here New Year’s Eve with fireworks going off around the neighborhood. For some reason after my radiation, my hearing became quite sensitive.  Doctors said, I would likely lose much of my hearing, instead it went in the opposite direction.  The doctors can’t explain it.  Between that and effects of some medication, I am sometimes a bit sensitive to loud noises.  So, with fireworks going off, I am a bit jumpy tonight.  I laughed that I was worse than the dogs ever were.  Then, my heart went to those brave men and women in the military who have fought for my freedom on the front lines of war and who have struggled with the same loud noises.  Now I don’t struggle for the same reason as I was never in the military, but I can sympathize with the discomfort of the sounds.

Instead of losing my hearing.  I have a lost much of my voice (my “teacher voice” and my singing voice).

Now don’t misunderstand me.  I’m human.  I still have to grab a tissue and just let the tears fall, sometimes rather heavily.  These tears do not come from fear of what comes after this life ends. I'm secure in that. I know where I'll be then. “Absent from the body. . . present with the Lord.” However, there are a lot of other unknowns and frustrations between now and then.  I can look back at this year and see when God used my experiences to show me something important about my relationship with Him and with others.  I still feel as though I’m on that scree. These past couple of weeks I have noticed a change in my energy.  Then starting back on the double chemo Christmas Day, that fatigue was intensified.  That all sat me back some more.  So really for about the last two weeks, I’ve been back on that scree again.  Then last night (Saturday) I noticed a new movement out of my foot.

(Continued New Year’s Day)

As I was falling asleep last night, saying goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018 (not at midnight, my weary eyes had closed and I was sleeping long before that).  I was thinking about what did I do last year that I would rather not repeat in the new year?  First of all, I would rather not put the wrong Christmas card in the wrong envelope.  You know who you are.  I’m Sorry.  Now don’t tell me you’ve never done that before.  I would also prefer not to look quite so foolish or at least not worry about looking foolish when getting in the car and my left leg, which sometimes has a mind of its own, sticks out like a flagpole when I try to get in the car.

Sunday evening, I also received an encouraging email from a friend in Kenya who reminded me of another verse (see below) to get me through those stepping backward days.  This is my motto for 2018.  So welcome 2018.  You are beautiful this morning.  What do you have in store for me this year?  Better yet, what does God have in store for me this new year?

PRAISES:

Safety, and strength for each new day.

Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life in general.

Another new year.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (Many of these remain the same, but are still relevant/needed.)

NEW – Recently I have been extra tired.  After a discussion with my doctor’s office, they informed me this will happen when a person is on chemotherapy for an extended period of time. So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Next MRI and doctor visit Feb 8.