Taking the Next Step

Journal Entry-March 7, 2010

"But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;...we live...as having nothing, yet possessing everything." 2 Corinthians 6:4-6, 10b

"It takes Almighty grace to take the next step when there is no vision and no spectator-the next step in devotion, the next step in your study, in your reading, in your kitchen, the next step in your duty, when there is no vision from God, no enthusiasm, and no spectator. It takes far more of the grace of God, far more conscious drawing upon God to take that step, than it does to preach the Gospel. Every Christian has to partake of what was the essence of the Incarnation, he must bring the thing down into flesh and blood actualities and work it out through the fingertips. We flag when there is no vision, no uplift, but just the common round, the trivial task. The thing that tells in the long run for God and for men is the steady persevering work in the unseen, and the only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the Risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to damp you." Take from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

Constant Care

Journal Entry-March 5, 2010

"Yesterday God helped me. Today he'll do the same. How long will this continue? Forever, praise His name!...God cannot afford to fail us. If He fails, then everything in this universe falls to pieces. God must be true to Himself and true to His Word. God cannot lie. His promises are sure and steadfast. If God once failed to care for one of His children, He would lose far more than we would. His very character is at stake! He has promised to care for us, and if He doesn't keep His promise, then He has ceased to be God. You can be sure that this will never happen!"
Taken from The Bumps are What you Climb On by Warren Wiersbe

I'm so thankful for God's constant care for me and all of His children! As I went with Anna today to Fine Arts at Hampton Park, I thought about last year when we were there and how far the Lord has brought me. Even with the "bumps" of the past two months, I am so blessed to be here and be healthy!

I will have an excisional biopsy (outpatient) on March 31 to remove the rest of the atypical cells and get "clear margins". I have now been 6 weeks without going to the cancer center! It is the longest I have gone without having to go there for something! I have not been sick since I finished the antibiotic and stopped the Herceptin. I am not having the back pain either. I am certain it was Herceptin related because I am doing so much better now that I'm off of it. I'm still short of breath and have to stop to take deep breaths during conversations, singing, or walking on inclines. One of my specific prayer requests would be for the Lord to completely restore my heart function over the next few months. I would also ask for prayer for Dr. Rippon to be able to see and remove anything that could possibly become cancerous during my biopsy on the 31st.

Thanks to all of you who have sent cards and spoken to me at church and told me that you are still faithful prayer warriors for me. I can feel the power of those prayers and it spurs me on to pray for others that are battling cancer.
We are in His "constant care"!