And The Rest Of The Story

Don't underestimate the value of a well spoken word.

Sitting in a little nearby cafe when the words:

"Cancer always comes back"

were spoken to me, were other ladies. One overheard these words and knew they were words that could cause a lot of pain to me. She prayed about the situation and on Sabbath came and told me about how sorry she was that these careless words had been spoken to me. She said she was afraid that Satan could use them as a pin prick to my heart. It meant to much to me that she took the time not only to pray about the situation but also to come and talk to me about it. It was like a salve in my wounds. Little did she know that these words had already taken a toll on me. I needed the salve for my soul. These well spoken words were very much appreciated by me. I am thankful that sometimes  God uses people to soothe our souls.

And for the rest of the story ......the person who had said these hurtful words to me had been a Dr. I had no idea. I had thought she was a nurse. And that is the rest of the story. :O) 

Careless Words

Be careful of what careless words you speak. Why do I say that? Several weeks ago I went to a women's breakfast and someone made this statement to me:

"Cancer always comes back."

It shocked me when she said it and later that day as I was walking I tried to process it and had felt like I had and that it was behind me,but it has affected me more than I realized. An random achyness in the area where cancer had been, a  few dizzy spell, headaches, twitching eye( a WHOLE LOT) of twitching of the eye, fatigue and did I mention my finger nails are in the worst shape- sounds trivial till I think back to just before my cancer diagnosis and what horrible shape my finger nails were in. e  ...all of these things began to make me concerned. It made me so much more sensitive to things that I normally deal with just fine.

Last week when I was out working in my yard, I heard a mocking bird - do what he does best - mock...then all of a sudden, I heard a beautiful little melody and looked to see what bird was making that noise, it was the mocking bird! We, just like the mocking bird, have the ability to make a beautiful sound or annoying one with the works we speak.  So we need to be careful with the words we speak- that they are not careless words.

Be sure to stay tuned to part two of this little story - Its like Paul Harvey used to say - and "that is the rest of the story"

PS~ please keep me in your prayers- i am still really struggling with this. Thanks 🙏

Hello :O) And Healthy Tidbit Wednesday!

It's an overcast day with rain showers here and there throughout the day. I decided it would be a great day to make some bread. My banana nut breakfast bread - it is regular bread with banana's and walnuts and a bit of vanilla. I love it and it helps keep me on my healthy eating journey.

It's been a busy week - with an unexpected need to spend a few hours at a local hospital supporting a family member. Camp meeting is starting today - so some of the busyness has been a good busy. Working on keeping my yard mowed - with all of the rain we have been getting, keeping my garden weeded. We finally got the roof built on the other side of our chicken pin- which is what they are locked in at night and until I let them out in the morning. it is two dog runs connected up against a small building we built for their chicken coop. We had a nice tin roof built onto one of the dog runs - but needed to get the other one built. We had a tarp over the other side- and sadly couldn't keep the water from puddling and so we were having a lot of issues with mosquitoes - I am sure hoping now that we have that roof built that we can get rid of the mosquitoes. Plus it helps keep their little chicken pin area from getting as muddy when it rains - gives them some shelter from the rain. So thankful to have that job done! Slowly - very slowly marking jobs off of our long to do list.

I have had a lot of issues I have been working through lately. I will be sharing about one of them tomorrow- with a warning attached to it.

Anyway I hope you all are doing well :O)

By the way - During Camp meeting there are a couple of cooking classes/ health talks. I am hoping to get some great information that I can share with you all. And because it is Health Tidbit - Wednesday - I don't want to leave you hanging so here is our healthy tidbit for today:

What is the BEST source of Omega- 3?

Many may say - Fish - but according to some studies fish are not as good for us as they once were. Fish these days have higher contents of mercury - which is not good for us. And I am sorry I didn't get the source of the study - but there are some studies that have shown that when a lot of women are taking oral contraceptives - and then they pee-in the pee is come of the meds and that the fish are becoming sterile. Oh and on top of that then they said that the polar bears were not having as many cubs- because they eat a lot of fish - and are also suffering the effects of the contraceptives.

Anyway so with all of this in mind - fish is not the best source for omega-3 after all.

Flaxseeds is the best source with walnuts coming in a close second.

But how do you take flaxseed? First of all do NOT buy it ground up already. It goes rancid quickly and it starts losing its' effectiveness quickly once ground. So buy the seeds and best thing to do it is to grind it daily. But if you are not going to grind it daily - then once you grind some - put what you aren't going to eat that day - into a freezer bag and freeze it. I would even suggest putting it in snack sized bags - into a freezer bag so you can take out just what you need each day.

Flax seeds can be many ways- but my favorite ways are sprinkle it on my oatmeal and smoothies.

Blessings and Blessing Others

Summer is coming on and we will have our granddaughter for the month of July. I have begun looking at what all we will need for that month. And I had realized that since she has been growing that we would be needing clothes. Thankfully God has provided by a friend from my new church getting rid of too small stuff from her daughter and she thought of our Sweetpea!

And then our youngest son's girl friend had some girls clothes and sent them over. I have gone through all the clothes and happy to say that SweetPea will have a good amount of clothes!!

I went through her things and pulled the too small stuff and will pass them on to a friend who has a younger daughter that will be able to use the clothes that I pulled from SweetPea's drawers.

So my plan now is that this summer my granddaughter and I may hit a couple of thrift stores and I will let her pick out a few things she loves to fill in the gaps in her wardrobe. But till then she will have plenty. I love it when she can just open up her drawers and pick out what she wants to wear and know that everything should fit her.

I am so thankful that thoughtful people passed on the things they would not use and I am happy to know someone to pass things along to. It is a great way to be a good steward of what we have and bless others.

Sunflower Seeds Do What?

Hello~ So I have been pretty busy the past week. Seems there is always something to do. I have a little something to share for our Healthy Tidbit for the week.

I found an awesome book recently and I will probably be sharing quite a bit of information from the book. It is called "God's Farmacy- a book on naturals remedies"

Today I want to share a quote about sunflower seeds.

"The rich vitamin E content and linoleic acid help to slow down the process of aging by protecting the skin from damaging effects of oxidation. They maintain the elasticity of the skin. Sunflower seeds strengthen the nails and hair, and reduce the number of gray hairs. People suffering from skin conditions, such as eczema, dry skin, and dermatitis, can benefit from consuming sunflower seeds."

There are a lot of great things that sunflower seeds do for us and one of these days I will share more. But for now know that they are good for you! :O)

Songs Have a Way of Encouraging Others

This week I woke up to this great song. I had not really noticed it before, but this morning - I heard it and instantly thought of a good friend who is going through a rough time and doesn't really know how the next few months will go- so many varibles and even the best case scenario is rough waters for sure. I was thankful that God blessed me with hearing this song so I could pass it on to her.

Songs have a way of really encouraging those going though a rough time. When I was going through Chemo a friend sent me Mandisa's song "Overcomer" I hadn't heard it before and it was just what I needed to hear. Many times that song lifted my spirits. Even when I hear it now I am encouraged.

I hope this song blesses and encourages you. :O)





[Verse 1]
You're able to do it
I know You can
'Cause God You are faithful
To move again
This mountain it seems big
But I know You're with me
So Jesus I'm grateful
Until the very end

[Chorus]
I can hear Your voice
Singing over me
I'm free indeed
I can feel Your power
Washing over me
And I'm free indeed

[Verse 2]
You are my Saviour
So I won't fear
'Cause I know You got this
Your power's here
You are my breakthrough
You're making all things new
So I praise You forever
To You I sing

[Chorus]
I can hear Your voice
Singing over me
And I'm free indeed (Yeah)
I can feel Your power
Washing over me
And I'm free indeed

[Bridge]
For God is on the throne
He is in control
Reigning over all
He is powerful, so powerful
I lift His name
And I give Him praise
So He'll make a way
He is powerful, so powerful

[Chorus]
I can hear Your voice
Singing over me
And I'm free indeed
I can feel Your power
Washing over me
And I'm free indeed

[Outro]
And I'm free indeed
I'm free indeed

Healthy Tidbits

Fever is it good or bad? Many times when we have a fever we rush to take something to bring the fever down - but I think that if we understand what the fever is for we may rethink what we do when we have one. Read the quote below to see what I mean.

This quote is from Gunther B. Paulien , Ph.D book The Divine Prescription and Science of Health and Healing

Fever Burns Bacteria and Impurities With Heat 

Fever is one of the body's own defense mechanism created and sustained for the deliberate purpose of restoring health. The high temperature of a fever speeds up Metabolism, inhibits the growth of the invading virus or bacteria, literally burns them with heat and accelerates the healing process. Fever is an effective protective healing measure not only against colds and other simple infections, but also against serious diseases such as polio and cancer.

Have You Ever Imagined Yourself There?

I love going to camp meeting. They used to have it every year in a little town nearby, but then for 5-10 years or so they did not. But about 3-5 years ago they started back up again. And I am so very thankful that they have.

During Campmeeting they have the big meetings every night, but they also have some seminars during the day. One year they had a seminar about how to get the most out of your Bible. And one of the things that they suggested is that when we are reading a Bible story to imagine ourselves being there and what we would be thinking and feeling. Yesterday's quote is the one that reminded me of learning that technique.

Christ’s disciples were much impressed by His prayers and by His habit of communion with God. One day after a short absence from their Lord, they found Him absorbed in supplication. Seeming unconscious of their presence, He continued praying aloud. The hearts of the disciples were deeply moved. As He ceased praying, they exclaimed, “Lord, teach us to pray.” {COL 140.1}

And to be honest - it is what helped me understand how imagining yourself being present during the stories in the Bible - helps with you gleaming a larger picture of the situation. When you imagine yourself there - you then can think of what questions you might have or how you might be feeling. It opens up another dimension of understanding the Scriptures. There is so much that we can learn from the Bible - if we will just take the time tot study for ourselves and to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. 

Anyway I just wanted to share that idea. And I am hoping that I will remember to take the time to do it more often myself. What awesome insight can I gleam by doing so?! 

They Were In His Presence

As I was reading the chapter titled "Asking to Give" in Christ Object Lessons - I noticed something I had not realized before.

Christ’s disciples were much impressed by His prayers and by His habit of communion with God. One day after a short absence from their Lord, they found Him absorbed in supplication. Seeming unconscious of their presence, He continued praying aloud. The hearts of the disciples were deeply moved. As He ceased praying, they exclaimed, “Lord, teach us to pray.” {COL 140.1}

Had you ever thought about the disciples having the privilege of being in the presence of Jesus as He prayed? I had never thought of that before. As I read the above paragraph I found myself wishing I could have been there that day. That I could have heard Jesus pray to His Father. How different must have been the prayer that Jesus prayed than of the prayers that the disciples had heard before- for them to ask Jesus to teach them to pray. 

Just a few things to think about. There are so many layers of things in the Bible for us to ponder and to learn. May we continue to seek to learn more and understand deeper. As we study the Word of God may we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us and to help up better understand what we are studying. He is willing and able! 

Another thing to think about is the fact that Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. How much more important is it that we spend time in prayer? 

My Best Deal

So I haven't posted much in my series - My Best Deal. To be honest I haven't really found very many awesome deals lately.The well seems to have dried up recently. But today I wanted to share about my latest Best Deal.

About a month ago I found what I think is a great deal!

Max Lucado book and the leather bound journal that goes with the book. I paid either 50 cents each or 1/00 each. Either way - I think that is an awesome deal. Especially since we just started studying this book in our Sabbath School class. I have been blessed in the past with the Max Lucado books I have read. I look forward to reading this one. Especially since it is about Psalm 23. 

That is one reason why I shared the prayer based on Psalm 23 earlier this week.
Have you found any great deals lately? I would love to hear about them. Just leave a comment. :O)

The Value of a Soul

As I was reading about the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin- I came across this paragraph and thought it was well worth sharing here with you. 

The value of a soul, who can estimate? Would you know its worth, go to Gethsemane, and there watch with Christ through those hours of anguish, when He sweat as it were great drops of blood. Look upon the Saviour uplifted on the cross. Hear that despairing cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34. Look upon the wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet. Remember that Christ risked all. For our redemption, heaven itself was imperiled. At the foot of the cross, remembering that for one sinner Christ would have laid down His life, you may estimate the value of a soul. COL196

Click on the COL196 above if you would like to check out the whole chapter- or the whole book- what every you would like. If you like digging deeper in the meaning behind the parables - this is the perfect book for you - it is called Christ Object Lessons. 

Digging a Little Deeper

Today we are going to spend a little bit of time looking a little deeper into the parable about The Lost Sheep. 

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 

5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 

6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Luke 15:1-7

I found this cute little video and could not pass up using it with this post. It helps us better understand what the Good Shepherd does for us. We don't always realize the danger we are in- but He does. He comes looking for us and if we allow Him to- He will carry us to safety.

"The rabbis understood Christ’s parable as applying to the publicans and sinners; but it has also a wider meaning. By the lost sheep Christ represents not only the individual sinner but the one world that has apostatized and has been ruined by sin. This world is but an atom in the vast dominions over which God presides, yet this little fallen world—the one lost sheep—is more precious in His sight than are the ninety and nine that went not astray from the fold. Christ, the loved Commander in the heavenly courts, stooped from His high estate, laid aside the glory that He had with the Father, in order to save the one lost world. For this He left the sinless worlds on high, the ninety and nine that loved Him, and came to this earth, to be “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:5.) God gave Himself in His Son that He might have the joy of receiving back the sheep that was lost." {COL 190.3}

If you would like to read the entire chapter about the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin click this link. 

https://egwwritings.org/?ref=en_COL.185&para=15.766

Another Take on Psalm 23

Today I want to share a contemporary take on Psalm 23 ~ written by Todd Chobotar - found in a  little book Creation Health Devotional for living life to the fullest,  "Written to be read as a person prayer to God- and intimate conversation with the Good Shepherd." 

Psalm 23: A Prayer For Hurting and Hopeful Hearts

Lord, you are my Faithful Shepherd.
You meet all my deepest needs.

You guide my weary heart to safe pastures,
and lead me beside peaceful waters.
You offer rest for my restless soul.

For the sake of your good name
you put my feet on the road to righteousness.

But even if I walk down desolate pathways
of pain or sorrow, disease or death,
I won't be afraid.
For suffering has no victory
if you're with me.

Your presence is all the comfort
and courage I need.

You give me reasons to celebrate
in spite of my trials.
You bless me with unexpected joy.
My heart overflows.

Your love and grace follow me
all the days of my life.
I'm grateful and secure knowing
that you, my Faithful Shepherd,
Hold me in your arms
and will never let me go.
Not now. Not ever.

Amen

Healthy Tidbits

Today a little meme that I saw and thought would be something interesting to share. If you are struggling with depression - I would suggest you looking up Dr.Neil Nedley on youtube and see what programs are available. Just some helpful information for anyone dealing with depression. He also has a book called "Depression: The Way Out"

Like a Domino Effect...

Last week I spent a good amount of time working on organizing my pantry. My pantry is the size that you have room to maybe step inside of the pantry and shut the door- but usually my trash can sits there so it really isn't a walk in pantry. But it is so much more room than what I had before we moved here- so I love it!

First I took every thing out of the bottom of the pantry and cleaned up the floor and threw stuff away or found another spot for it. Then organized the stuff that I put back in nicely. Then I tackled the bottom shelf. I took everything off the shelf and I wiped down the shelf and then I looked through the stuff and looked at dates on stuff and put the things that need to be used up soon out front, things with a longer shelf life I put at the back of the row. Then I worked on the next two shelves. Everything looked so nice when I was done. I still have the top shelf to do but have put it off. I may do that next week.

What I found was that once I took care of the floor of the pantry and saw the nice difference it made it encouraged me to tackle the other shelves. I even was able to get my fish tank cleaned and my carpets cleaned. And to be perfectly honest - I had had "Clean Carpets" on my to do list for over a month- each week it got moved to the bottom of priority. So it felt great to finally get that done!

So if you have some jobs that you really need to get done but just keep putting them off. Maybe try to tackle a job that will make a difference in how it looks. Clean an area that you don't always pay attention to and maybe you too will find a burst of energy to get more jobs done. Sometimes we have to just tell ourselves - "You WILL get this job done today." Sometimes we have to make a deal with our selves - get this job done and then you can do something fun. It always makes it funner and easier to do the job when there is a reward on the other side.

Wondering what jobs I will get done this week?

The Beauty of Nature

I started reading this book recently so this is what I was studying while we were away. 

This book is called "Christ Object Lessons" It was published in the year 1900. I am sure I will reading this book for a while since it has 421 pages! 

Every year when I plant my seeds and my starter plants, I have some worries that they may not make it. Especially when stormy weather is forecasted. This morning during my devotional time I was given new spiritual insight into the connection between my seeds and started plants and my own life and I would like to share it with you. 

"As we contemplate the beauty of nature, as we study its lessons in the cultivation of the soil, in the growth of the trees, in all the wonders of earth and sea and sky, there will come to us a new perception of truth." COL125

After I read the above sentence, I paused for a moment. I thought of how God cares for even my plants and provides the sunshine, soil and rain every now and then. Then I remembered how when a storm is on its way - I worry about my little plants. And it dawned on my that just as He watches over my plants and takes care of them- through the sunny days and the stormy ones as well, He also does the same for me. And He does it for you as well! 

If you would like to check out the entire chapter that this quote came from ~ click HERE.

A Few Days Away

Sorry I have been missing in action lately. My husband and I went to a favorite state park to go camping for a couple of days. I love to hike when we go there. They have 4 great trails. And my goal on every trip is to hike every one of them! I was a bit disappointed on this trip because some of the trails were muddy. One of the trails I had to turn around and go back because I came to an area that we just too muddy to get through. And another trail I was not able to walk at all. The trails I did hike had sections that were quite muddy but thankfully there were either large rocks or some high ground I was able to use to get through. 

The first day I got a very good walk/hike in! But at 5:25am when I got up to go to the bathroom and then I was going to turn our thermostat down a bit- I forgot there was another step there and I tumbled to the ground landing on my knees pretty hard and then hands. That is the negative of the way they design the new 5th wheels. No carpet and the steps are high and oddly spaced. This is not the first time I have fallen. The first time we took the trailer out I fell - that time on another step- I hadn't remembered where the step was. That time i was banged myself up pretty bad but did not fall. This time I was very careful with the steps I am used to going down to get to the bathroom - but then I had to move the bathroom door and was going try to get the thermostat that is behind the door and just did not remember that last step and bam! It has taken a couple of days but I have a big bruise about 5 inches or more from knee down my leg. It is still sore and sensitive to touch. And the bruising gets darker each day. 

I didn't let busting my knees stop me from getting in another great hike. There are two parts to this trail and because of how late I got started - I was not able to get through both sections of it. I was worried I wasn't going to make it out of the woods by the time the sun went down as it was. 

During my hike the first day I was there - I saw 3 deer. One of them was off to the side of the hiking trail. She wasn't that far away and I tried really hard to get a good photo of here - but I just could get it. The other two deer had been drinking at the lake when I disturbed them and they went across the hiking trail into the woods. As I continued on the trail I could hear them off to the side but never got to see them again.

One of my favorite things about trips to this state park is my view for my morning quiet time!!