Female in Motion

Psalm 73:23-26 (NKJV) Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever . The Hubster takes good care of me. During this time of illness and healing, he has been a strong source of comfort and support. I look to him for help with carrying heavy grocery sacks, changing cat boxes and vacuuming the living room. The Hubster also talks to me when I'm feeling low, gives great hugs and prays with me. Is he the source of my security? No. I know that my mounting medical bills will be paid. Whatever work piles up while I am getting treatment will be done.  Errands will be run. The house will be cleaned (eventually!). All of this will be accomplished whether I worry over it or not. Even though I have a loving, Godl...

   People see me out and about town, shopping, going out to dinner, or to church. They seem surprised to see me, like people with cancer should be at home with the curtains drawn. "How are you?" they ask, worry dripping from every word. "I'm doing great!" I say, with a smile. Why not? It's true! God is blessing my life with lots of good stuff. The Hubster and I just celebrated 31 years of marriage, our business is growing, we eat regularly and pay our bills, we have a beautiful family and great, supportive friends. We are blessed!  Breast cancer is merely one circumstance in my life. It does not consume my whole life. Hopefully, in a couple of years, it will be a dim memory. My attitude is that life is good and God has blessed me. I've been through enough trials in my 50 years to know that those valleys are temporary, so treat them as such. Live above your circumstances.  *Decide. Make a conscious decision to trust Christ with your life. *Commi...

Last weekend was quiet. The Hubster and I had just returned from a business seminar out of town. We spent Saturday and Sunday doing a few simple household chores, but mostly, napping, watching old movies, attending church, and resting. It was peaceful and much-needed. Monday morning brought bad news. I had surgery at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America-Chicago campus on Friday, July 6. The procedure was to widen the margins from my original lumpectomy, to take four ancillary lymph nodes from under my arm, and to get an IORT Boost. (That is inter-operative radiation therapy). Yes, I had radiation treatment while I was on the surgical table. During the surgery, they attached two surgical drains to get rid of excess fluid. It's a common practice. After the surgery, I was fitted for a compression sleeve for my right arm. Removal of lymph nodes on the right side causes a risk of lymphedema, an inflammatory condition. I will wear the sleeve each day for two months, and while lift...

     Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in February, I have received oodles of thoughtful cards, letters, emails and Facebook messages. Others have sent photos or meaningful songs. I wouldn't dream of throwing them out; every one of these items are precious to me. So I put them in a basket I found in a closet and whenever I'm feeling blue, I pull them out and re-read them. It is my Encouragement Basket.      It is interesting that almost all of the messages I received contain Holy Scripture. That's what made me think of writing down some of my favorites from The Word and tucking them in the basket, too. And a couple of Women of Faith videos, just for the fun of it. It doesn't have to be a basket, I bet there's an old shoebox around your house somewhere.      I don't know what kind of challenge you are facing today, but I do know we need you and you're making a difference in this world. There are people around you who ar...

Revelation 4:10-11 (KJV)   The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Recently, our daughter and her husband invited us to have dinner in their new home. The Hubster and I were excited to see their new place and wanted to show our appreciation for their kind invitation. A pretty bouquet of flowers seemed like the perfect hostess gift. Mom taught me right. She said when you visit someone's home for the first time, you bring a small gift, and don't forget to send a thank you note afterward. Dad was in charge of math homework and bike riding, Mom gave us the social graces. Someday, a LONG, LONG TIME from now, I will go home to be with my Lord. Upon arrival in Heaven for the first time, I don't w...