It's Autumn * Happy New Year*

First, I know this may seem weird but I do not like New Year's day.  I don’t know why but to me it is kind of a depressing day maybe it is the letdown after all the holidays or what but I don’t like it. So last year I made the choice to make my New Year the 1st day day of Autumn. It was great, after all even Hallmark pocket calendars start in September!  If you think about it Autumn is the time to harvest old crops and plant seeds that will bloom in spring.

 So this year I have made a list for my
New Year

*Read the Bible in a year in chronological order – I thought my love of history would make this be an even bigger blessing.

*Make a new friend each month and pray for them for that month- That is 12 more people in my life that I could learn from and maybe I will be a blessing to them.

*Dance at least once a day- even if I don’t feel like it!

*Go for a Walk 3 times a week-God has so many things to see even when it’s raining and cold

*Act like a girl throughout the month-not a tough woman but a girly girl. This may be odd to some but sometimes I forget this.

*Learn to sew -AND actually make stuff, cute stuff, and something in RED

*Buy Boots- I know this is not very spiritual but I have wanted boots for 3 years and I really want to get a pair this year so I just added them to the list-

So this is my short list so far. What made me want to make a list this year is I really started thinking of how long a year really is. For me it is not 365 days, I live in increments of 14 days. I take my cancer meds. for 14 days then I am off for 14 days and then repeat it again I do this for a year. That means I could live for a year or not, I could live for 20 years or not, but my choice is this I want to make every day count.  After all I could be crossing the street and get hit by a charging moose and die, you just don't know! What a difference a day makes when you make that day count for something more than yourself. (OK maybe I shouldn't have let you know about the boots) 

After all reading the bible every day is great, but if you are not DOING something with that knowledge about a true and loving God what good is it. And being healed from a disease is great but if your life is just about living for you what good is that.  So maybe I make a list with the hope that every day God will change me and make me a better person with a purpose for Him.  So I hope you will make today be

“The Best Day Ever!"  

Hebrews 13:8 -Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

First Person Responsibility

Do you have any pet peeves? I think we all have some pet peeve, you know that thing that annoys you and makes you think your perfect little world is disturb by that one thing. How about: when people leave the cap off the toothpaste, or people who drink directly out of the milk/orange juice container, and then put the empty container back in the refrigerator - that is somewhat annoying but that's two things . Not washing hands after using the bathroom- OK that is just disgusting. Guys who leave the toilet seat up- I had three brothers and then two sons I was always the only girl, so really when you think about it maybe guys is people who leave the toilet seat down. How about when you’re eating something and a person will just steal a little bit of it – yep that does kind of  bug me !

 Well I am going to share mine and it is my ugly side but here goes… my biggest one is what I call “First Person Responsibility”. This is the first one at the red light has the responsibility to make sure when the light turns green he GOES and tries to get everyone behind him through the light too.

 He doesn’t think about Aunt Mabel’s cookies, or talk to the person in the passenger seat, or anything else. I feel like it is a job that you shouldn’t take lightly. If you wait, the light will think no one is there and BAM it is red again and the only person who gets through is that guy and the rest of us are all sitting back at the intersection waiting on a red light.

I try very hard to remember forgiveness with this one, and I also try very hard not to just nudge that person with my car. I think that is illegal but maybe the judge would see my theory and feel like it is completely appropriate behavior on this one, but then I don’t think I want to risk it. I bet at some point in my life I was that girl at the red light that waited and didn’t get anyone else through but me and I didn’t even know it- no not me, no way-well maybe.

When it comes down to it, we all have that “First Person Responsibility” to lead by our example. How others who are watching to see what direction we will take and then they will follow. It can be simply how your children see you when you get angry or disappointed waiting and watching to see how you will get through it. Some may be watching to see how you react to change, are you going to just stay there waiting, or will you move on in faith knowing God has a plan. Maybe you don’t even know that there is someone behind you but they are there, and they want to get through the green light too. Life can be so hard sometimes and if we see someone walking ahead of us leading showing us the love of God, we can all make it. We are all leaders in some way or another, at one point in your life you are the first one at the red light just remember when it turns green I am behind you so let’s go, get us through the intersection.

1 Timothy 4:12 -Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Wipeout

 Have you ever seen the TV show "Wipeout"? Each week crazy people take on one of the world's largest extreme obstacle course hoping to be the "Wipeout Champion." It is at times grueling to watch people get  smacked around, catapulted in the air, swim or crawl through mud, shot in the face with all kind of nasty stuff, and continue to the next round.

For some reason it is my Grandson’s “new” favorite show, (last week it was Little Bear), so when he was over the other night he said, “Grandma, let’s watch my favorite funny show”. I know before you say anything about violence on television I too thought the same thing. So I said, “I don’t think we should watch this, it is kind of a mean and an awful lot of hitting going on”. His response was” No Grandma, it’s funny, they get knocked down but they can get up and do it again”. So we watched it and every time someone would get wiped-out, he would say, “Wait Grandma watch, they get up and get to do it again”.

So here I am, the next day sitting in church and all of a sudden little flashes of the “Wipeout” scenes come flashing through my head. That is when I realized this has been my life for the last several weeks.

I would start out fine thinking OK I can do this, right God, and bam I got sucked punched, knocked me to my knees

 got up and shook it off, feeling the sting on my face I continued on, and bam catapulted into a sea of yuckiness,

got up again and tried to stand tall, and bam and the big old sweeper kicked my feet right under me

I laid down for a while on that one but pulled myself to a half standing position.

Finally, just when I didn’t think I could take anymore I crawled into the throne room of God and begged for His grace. Do you think the course ended there? The answer is nope, the next day received a couple of phone calls, that let’s just say wasn’t the best news, and bam blow to my left side

I limped around on my right for the rest of the day.

As I sat in church thinking of all that has taken place lately and hoping to hear from God, that He will bless me with a calm, sweet week--all I can hear is this little boy's voice about this crazy show-- and I realize I GOT UP! I didn’t stay down in the mud, I didn’t lay down face first drowning in the water, and I didn’t stay on the ground. I GOT UP! I may have crawled at times but I GOT UP! I guess Grace doesn’t always bring victory in the obstacles, sometimes Grace comes with Mercy and just let’s you GET UP and get through the obstacles!

Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the LORD Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Sugar Scrub & Me

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/05/lemon-sugar-hand-scrub-for-mom.html

I am a huge fan of sugar scrubs! With my event-filled adventure with cancer treatment, I would do anything to stop the crazy itching. Dry skin was an understatement parched is probably a better word. Seriously, I tried so many over the counter & prescription anti-itch, rash; don’t claw your skin off medicines, and none of them worked. Then I met my friend Sugar Scrub (insert ahhh sound here)! I made my own and used it daily from that point on Mr. Itchy Scratchy left my house. So inexpensive and easy to make you will wonder why you have gone all of your life without it. Try this wonderful recipe my friend has so lovely posted you will love it too!

My Cinderella Story

Yesterday my little Grandbabe Chloe met her hero, Cinderella. She went to Disneyland with her Daddy, Mommy and brother Christian. There were three princesses there Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella. Now everybody likes all of the others princess ladies how could you not they are princesses right. But Cinderella is a very special princess; she is the rags to riches girl. Isn't that our dream when we are young is to grow up and be a princess? Don't we all want to be Cinderella to have a wonderful prince that loves you? To take you from the ashes invite you to a beautiful ball and then fall in love with you even before he speaks to you. To pursue you when you run away, and then search everywhere until he finds you. Then he puts on that glass slipper that only fits you and no one else and then he takes you away to a beautiful castle and you live happily ever after. Well that's how my King pursed me, He loved me even when I was in my mother’s womb, and as I was running around this crazy hard world, He caught my attention. He sees me as a lily among thorns, He thinks I am beautiful. He took me out of my ash-filled life, and gave me a life of joy. He holds my hand as we walk together and never leaves my side, I am his bride. And someday He will take me to His beautiful castle and I will live with Him, my King, my Prince, my happily ever after. I guess we can all grow up and really be Cinderella. It’s not just a fairytale after all.

Animal Scans

Went for my animal scans today PET/CAT/MRI. I don’t know why they all sound like something that is supposed to be cute because they are not. In the morning, as I walked in to the Roy Disney Cancer Center I almost began to weep. Thankfully, I no longer enter in to this with fear not knowing what to expect because I do. It was just walking in the door again. There, going through this crazy cancer journey are so many people. Some have the look of shock with wide eyes of fear knowing they have just heard those awful words "you have cancer" . Some with all stages of hair loss from the thinning hair to the complete baldness, some wear hats to hide, some just have gotten so use to the baldness they wear it proudly knowing they are still here. I fit somewhere in between all of them I am no longer shaking with fear, and have lost my look of shock, but I am still scared to accept the familiarity of all of this. I like denial it keeps me safe it keeps me not accepting a death sentence and yet it does keep me hoping that I will live to see my healing. So I was grateful today that this reality has changed my life for the better. So gratefully, I have such a loving Father that held my hand the whole time.

Best Day Ever

Mr. Sun came out and he smiled at me. Said it's gonna be a good one just wait and see!

Jumped out of bed and I ran outside feeling so extra exstatified!

It's the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
It's the Best day ever! (Best day ever)

I'm so busy got nothing to do, spent the last two hours just tying my shoe.
Every flower every grain of sand, is reaching out to shake my hand.

It's the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
It's the Best day ever! (Best day ever)

Sometimes the little things start closing in on me, when I'm feeling down I wanna lose that frown I stick my head out the window and look around.
Those clouds don't scare me they can't disguise, this magic that's happening right before my eyes.
Soon Mr. Moon will be shining bright so the best day ever will last all night.
Yes the Best day ever's gonna last all night now.

It's the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
It's the Best day ever (Best day ever)
(Best day ever)
(Best day...)

"Bring the Rain"

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that
I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there'll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may
loom above because you are much greater than
my pain you who made a way for me suffering
your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

[1st Chorus]

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
is the lord God almighty
is the lord God almighty
I'm forever singing

[2nd Chorus 2x]

everybody singing
Holy holy holy
you are holy
you are holy

[2nd Chorus 2x]
"Bring The Rain",Mercy Me