Yes...There is Such a Thing

Just wanting to share a bit of my heart today. Before I went through chemo - I had never heard of chemo brain. And if I had - I might not have believed there was such a thing. But since going through chemo - and it being almost 1 1/2 months out from chemo- and still experiencing thing that frustrate me, I am beginning to believe that there is more damage done to the brain than what people think. Well at least those not affected by chemo personally.

In fact, I would say that not only does it affect the brain - it affects your stamina. And example of such is this past week end. I had plans to go with my Sister to the midnight madness sale that Goodwill had going on Saturday night. I had also been asked to help with the dinner for a family after a funeral at our church. So I went and helped - and after that 3 1/2 hours - I only had an hour between when I left the church to when I would need to be at my sisters house. Well I was TOO tired to go shopping. In years past - I think I would have been able to do both. But now I just don't have the ability as I once did. As I have been walking - I have noticed that I do have more energy and stamina than I did say a year ago or even 6 months ago- but not like before.

And chemo brain - goodness- it's hard to explain how it affects you. Sometimes I find it hard to express my thoughts, or even to give an intelligent answer for basic questions. I find myself talking and thinking just be quiet. I also have a problem with having a conversation with someone and I can remember most of the conversations - but there will be a blank area in the middle or at some important part where I know what we were talking about but I can not remember what they said or how they answered a question that I asked. And then there is the keeping up with the checkbook. It used to be not much of a problem at all. But now - ever so often I just get to were I can not figure out what went wrong or how to balance the checkbook. And it is so frustrating...Really it is.

I am having to realize that I have limits. Limits of what I can do in a given day. I need to slow down and allow myself time to work on what ever project needs doing that day. Especially the projects like paying the bills(make sure I write all the figures in) and balancing the checkbook. And then I need to be patient with myself when I make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It is just hard when you have tried so hard to do a good job at what ever you do...and then to come face to face with mistakes being done. It's ok not to be perfect. It's a thing I need to get more used to I guess.
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Update on Charlene:

I went by to see her yesterday. She is doing so much better than her last surgery- there is such a huge difference- it goes to show how close we got to losing her - just to see how much better she is doing this time. She is in a lot of pain. I don't blame her one bit- I would hate to have an incision down the front of me and I would be in a lot of pain as well. She is slowly making improvements. Yesterday they helped her to the chair and then helped her back to bed. She was moving around in her bed a bit more also. And she is eating - first clear liquids and now liquids with substance. They sent her jello---lol- she does NOT like jello - she could be starving to death and she would not eat it...nope.
Anyway but slowly she is building back up. I don't see her getting out of hospital before Monday. I would be surprised if they let her out sooner. If they do - they would be sending her to rehab. At this point I really don't know. I am happy that this surgery is behind her and that she is improving every day. Please continue to pray for her and for me as well. Thanks :O)

Heart Gifts.....series

I was given a great book. It is "Heart Gifts" a book full of Helen Steiner Rice's poetry and at the end a bit of her life story. Helen Steiner Rice is probably one of my favorite poets. Her writing is so uplifting and encouraging so I decided that I would do a series and share all of the poetry in this book - on a weekly basis.

 

"Heart Gifts"

 

It's not the things that can be bought

that are life's richest treasure,

It's just the little "heart gifts"
that money cannot measure...
A cheerful smile, a friendly word,
a sympathetic nod
Are priceless little treasures
from the storehouse of our God...
They are the things that can't be bought
with silver or with gold,
For thoughtfulness and kindness
and love are never sold...
They are the priceless things in life
for which no one can pay,
And the giver finds rich recompense
in giving them away.

Helen Steiner Rice


Waiting Game

Just checking in for a minute to let you know that my Mother in Law - Charlene - made it through surgery. Everything went well. It was a very long day of waiting and waiting and waiting. She is very sore and having some nausea - so continued prayers for her would be appreciated. Thank you so much for the prayers. :O)

Prayers Requested

Just wanted to hop on line for a minute to ask for prayers for my Mother in law, Charlene. She is having a major surgery this morning. Starting at 8:30am. They will be reconnecting the colon. I'll check back in and let you know how it went, as soon as I am able to do so. Thanks so much! :)

Power of Prayer

The first words upon arising~

"The very first outbreathing of the soul in the morning should be for the presence of Jesus. 'Without Me,' He says, ' ye can not do nothing.' It is Jesus that we need; His light, His life, His spirit, must be ours continually. We need Him every hour. And we should pray in the morning that as the sun illuminates the landscape, and fills the world with light, so the Sun of Righteousness may shine into the chambers of mind and heart, and make us all light in the Lord. We cannot do without His presence one moment. The enemy knows when we undertake to do without our Lord, and he is there, ready to fill our minds with his evil suggestions that we may fall from our steadfastness, but it is the desire of the Lord that from moment to moment we should abide in Him, and thus be complete in Him."- My Life Today, 15

 

Your very first work~

"Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, 'Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy Feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide in me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee." This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust."

_Steps to Christ, 70

Sharing a "Streams" Devotional Today

This post is actually a devotional from my "Streams in the Desert" book - for October 18th.

It was so good I wanted to share!

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"Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs; . . . they shall afflict them four hundred years; . . . and afterward they shall come out with great substance"

Genesis 15:12-14

An assured part of God's pledged blessing to us is delay and suffering. A delay in Abram's own lifetime that seemed to put God's pledge beyond fulfillment was followed by seemingly unendurable delay of Abram's descendants. But it was only a delay: they "came out with great substance." The pledge was redeemed.
God is going to test me with delays; and with the delays will come suffering, but through it all stands God's pledge: His new covenant with me in Christ, and His inviolable promise of every lesser blessing that I need. The delay and the suffering are part of the promised blessing; let me praise Him for them today; and let me wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He will strengthen my heart.
--C. G. Trumbull


Unanswered yet the prayer your lips have pleaded
In agony of heart these many years?
Does faith begin to fail? Is hope departing?
And think you all in vain those falling tears?
Say not the Father hath not heard your prayer;
You shall have your desire sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? Nay do not say ungranted;
Perhaps your work is not yet wholly done.
The work began when first your prayer was uttered,
And God will finish what He has begun.
If you will keep the incense burning there,
His glory you shall see sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? Faith cannot be unanswered,
Her feet are firmly planted on the Rock;
Amid the wildest storms she stands undaunted,
Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock.
She knows Omnipotence has heard her prayer,
And cries, "It shall be done"--sometime, somewhere.
--Miss Ophelia G. Browning

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Be sure and stop by tomorrow - there are some excellent quotes about prayer that I have ready to share with you all. You won't want to miss these! :)

Spur of the Moment Field Trip

So this past week end was a weekend that our son had his daughter. We really enjoy these weekends.

On Sabbath afternoon - our son was driving home and just happened to see a small sigh that told of a Dino Presentation. So he called us and asked us to bring SweetPea up there for an spur of the moment field trip.

There were more than 24,000 dinosaur bones- we did not actually see them all- that would have taken forever. We did see some rare bones of a nanosaurus.

It was fun to see and touch dinosaur bones. And it was fun to try to answer questions about the bones. I even got to ask a couple of questions.

In fact, I learned something that I had never thought of before.

When God created the world - the animals and people were perfect. You can read all about it in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

Not only were the life spans longer but the size of the people were much bigger than they are today.

What I learned on this field trip was that not only were the people larger in size so were the animals. They had the pelvic bone of a giant slough. It was about 2- 3 feet wide. I thought I got a photo of it but I guess I did not.

When Got created everything and before sin entered into the world - everything was perfect- even the atmosphere, the food, and the nutrition that it gave all supported the perfection that God had created, but sin changed all of that and the life span grew shorter as did the stature.

I love when I understand a new (to me) concept. And especially when it has to do with Biblical things. After all isn't that the most important things to really know about - God's Word?! There are always new gems for us to find in the Bible and in our spiritual life with Jesus Christ. We only need to keep searching and asking for the Giver of all gifts to give us wisdom and understanding.

When I was on my spur of the moment field trip I di not even things of doing a post about it or I would have taken more photos to share. I hope you enjoyed our little field trip.

Here is just a small sampling of the bones we saw:

 

Gigantic Stature of Antediluvians—At the first resurrection all come forth in immortal bloom, but at the second, the marks of the curse are visible upon all. All come up as they went down into their graves. Those who lived before the flood come forth with their giant-like stature, more than twice as tall as men now living upon the earth, and well proportioned. The generations after the flood were less in stature.—Spiritual Gifts 3:84. EGWSRGES 39.7

 

Decline in Stature After the Flood—Soon after the flood the race began to rapidly decrease in size, and in length of years. There was a class of very large animals which perished at the flood. God knew that the strength of man would decrease, and these mammoth animals could not be controlled by feeble man.—4SG 121. EGWSRGES 39.8

 

I just wanted to share a few great quotes that a friend of mine helped me find. The reference is to: Ellen G. White Statements relating to Geology and Earth Science. I am working on finding a link to share so if you would like to find where the information was found. When I find it I will include it here. :o)