A Memory...Diagnosis

This month marks the time...two years ago, I was diagnosed with invasive Breast cancer.

At the time, I had no idea what I was going to face in this dreadful disease that afflicts so many.

INVASIVE...not a good word to hear in Cancer.

BREAST CANCER...runs in my family.

My husband and I patiently sat in the waiting room to hear further information on what my treatments would entail.

SURGERY....what kind? Consultation with surgeon to follow.

OPTIONS..thankful we have them. DECISIONS....what is best for...ME?

SUNDAY PREACHING....Three Reasons We Suffer.

1. Your own transgressions
2. Your adversary to "TEST" your FAITH.
3. Bring GLORY to GOD by showing HIS strength, power and grace..in YOU!

A look at the sufferings of Paul the Apostle.

I remember the sufferings of Missionary Hudson Taylor.

When a new born Christian...I asked my husband ...WHY??

I could not then....THEN. Comprehend the reasons, the suffering and pain the heartache..the toil.

Til...my own turn came.

Not with Breast Cancer. But a son born with Downs Syndrome and a congenital heart defect. He would not live long. Nine Months after birth...he died.

The precious "lost" soul of a nurse was saved.

I'm thankful my memory...is that of GOD's GRACE at such a time.

WHY??? GOD's Divine purposes.

My FAITH was indeed tested. The adversary worked hard as well..sifting as wheat.

God's Glory? You ask?

AT SUCH A TIME???

YES...my FAITH strengthened with comfort, hope and courage. My FAITH revealed even to myself that it was REAL and full of power, even yet unbeknownst to me. It was working in me.

Again it would work in me...through my Breast Cancer Journey.

FAITH...would I trust GOD again...with my life...with my future...with HIS purpose?

A friend wrote me a song...PEACE AT SUCH A TIME.

Yes, again it came. It was there in full assurance. COURAGE to believe and endure.

Surgery would remove a tumor...no mastectomy.

I chose to read Psalm 55: 18, 22 before bed the night before surgery.

The surgery showed invasive...

January 20th pathology report... not in my lymph nodes.

January 21st...my 55th Birthday

January 25th surgeon appointment(the day my son died years earlier)

NOTE** #5 is GRACE
20 = 5 x 4 25 = 5x5 55 = 5 x 10

I'm thankful my MEMORY is that of God's Grace shown to me at such a time.

A Diagnosis that now is a memory for me. A memory of HIS GRACE.

Through one trial and test of faith...death came.

Through another...life was spared.

GOD's work and will performs HIS good purpose. Romans 8:28

We must believe it and trust HIM...

He will give you GRACE in time of need.

He will give you STRENGTH, COURAGE and HOPE.

Have no Fear. Jesus in near.

LIFE...will you fear and not let GOD show you HIS care...HIS work and HIS promises???

This life is a testing ground...of how you will live it. How you will affect others. And...what will you do with Jesus?

Hymn What Will You Do With Jesus?
Albert B. Simpson 1843-1919

Jesus, I give thee my heart to-day!
Jesus I'll follow Thee all the way.
Gladly obeying Thee! "will you say,
This will I do with Jesus!

What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you can not be;
Some day your heart will be asking, "What will He do with me?"

Take the LORD JESUS a your Saviour today..not at this "season" but for all eternity!!!

I pray this post is an encouragement to believe and trust and REJOICE.

Memories can be full of GRACE.

HOPE

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It's time to remember the IMPORTANCE of Breast Cancer Awareness! Time to get your yearly Mammogram. I read that if you plan your yearly around another event..you are more likely to REMEMBER!




I FORGOT...I got BREAST CANCER!

I let two years slip by....my BREAST CANCER was not found by a lump. It could ONLY BE DETECTED BY DIGITAL MAMMOGRAM!

Even if it is October...an unlikely month isn't it for PINK...but by those wearing it....

It will definitely stand out! 

I had my last followup and now go for a yearly..so my date will be around my  Birthday now. An easy time to REMEMBER..and a celebrating time for more reasons than one. Another birthday..and ANOTHER YEAR Breast Cancer FREE. My Yearly marks just happen to be in January when I had my surgery. A good way to start off the NEW YEAR also. REMEMBERING!

Remembering GOD's Grace upon my life...the journey and the blessings that came...
yes..through a TRIAL OF FAITH.

Congratulations to my fellow SURVIVORS!!
God bless.
HOPE

Grace and Death

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:4-5

The above verses are ones that touched my heart when I was witnessed to about the LORD and salvation. I had always feared of not knowing where I would go when I died. These verses from God’s Word brought me assurance and peace.

…these words are true and faithful.

I believed them then…and I believed them at this time of my son’s death. I knew that he was with the LORD… that his body no longer suffered and that all things were new!!

I made mention several times in this testimonial story of the number 5

I’d like to explain…

In the scriptures numbers have specific meanings:

You will note as you read or study the Bible several outstanding numbers…

for example 13 has always been associated with Rebellion.

and it is noteworthy that some verses with 13 are in regards most often to Rebellion.

The number 3 is associated with God and the trinity…the number 6 man..the number 40 judgment…


And the number 5 Grace...and...Death


If you recall...Stephen was born in my 5th pregnancy...he was my 5th born child and he died on January 25 (5 x 5)…the verse that became my favorite is found in Job 42:5

…..and many other verses that came as I read my Bible with the verse 5.

Psalm 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

These are noted throughout my story.

For GRACE…Kathryn was saved by Grace through Faith…

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where with he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).

Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For DEATH:

Genesis 5:5 is the first natural death…And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

Isaiah 25: 8-9 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

When Stephen died on January 25th and I wrote in my journal, I began to see all the associations with this number. It won’t always be this way…but for this time...it was my comfort.

God’s Word is so perfect in its creation. The middle verse of the Bible is

Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

For indeed there are times in our life that man cannot come to our aid...only the God of Heaven.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God.

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

I John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

God’s Word is truly the comfort of every soul that searches….

A wealth and treasure is found in those precious pages.

...the visits begin...part 3

As the days passed since my friend left...I had a lot of time to think about my situation. There had been so much activity prior, that my thoughts and prayers with quality of "quiet time" had been robbed. I knew that this was a vital time for me..one for renewing my strength of faith.

I bought a little gate to put in front of the children's room so that they wouldn't run around the house while I was reading my Bible. They didn't mind since they could still peek out and see Mommy in the kitchen. Our children were well behaved and understood the importance of Mommy and Daddy being able to read their Bibles.

The two eldest were now on a regular schedule with school, thanks to Claudine. And, thankfully one of the classes for First Grade was right across the street. One daughter was able to walk to school and the other caught a bus across the street to attend class in another village a few minutes aways. God had provided our home in the perfect location! Several children in the village had already gotten to know my children and so with "friends" they attended their proper village class. The teacher's my children had were wonderful women and very understanding. My girls were still learning French and struggling with this on top of learning the normal education courses. But, in a short time they were so fluent that in town people knew exactly what village they lived in! What a help they were to me also. It amazed us how quickly children adapt. Before learning French, they still played with the village children, swinging, swimming, racing cars, riding bikes. No language barriers for them. Oh, how I wished I could have just soaked in the language like a sponge!

But, for now...my time in God's Word was more important than studying a new language. I felt the weakness of the flesh coming on strong. Questioning my own abilities to perform for my handicap son and my other children. I read the book of JOB over and over. I was reminded of the time many years prior in my youth as a babe in Christ; asking my Pastor...

"WHY?, did this happen to Job?"

He then did a Bible study on Why The Righteous Suffer. He pointed out the verses such as:

Job 1:1 There was a man...named Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Job 1:7-8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence cometh thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

If you read the rest of the chapter you find that God allows Satan time with Job..testing his faith with sore trials...however, his life is in God's hand.

Job 2:1 says AGAIN...and these verses are repeated...yet in verse 3 it is added...and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Satan accuses God of building a hedge around Job and then accuses Job that if God were to touch Job's flesh he'd curse God....and so God gives Satan permission.
WHY? you'd ask...to prove the strength of his faith and belief in God. To prove Satan and his followers are without power. To magnify the GOD of Heaven and that no matter the trials we go through, GOD is our strength, he is our helper in time of need, he knoweth the end of the matter. We must remain faithful.

Job 12:9-10 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

As you read the book of Job you find that his faith though at times weak..he still sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

He even examined himself...Chpt. 31:24-28 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness: And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

Job knew his God. Chapter 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold... (the value)

I Peter Chpt. 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tired with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ...

And though Job was a righteous man, he still knew as we do..we are sinners saved by the grace of God and that any righteousness we have is His bestowed upon us by the redemption found at Calvary. In chapter 41 Job confesses his knowledge of this...and in chapter 42 he also acknowledges God's greatness. Verse 5 became very special to me. (you might note here by now...that Stephen was born in my 5th pregnancy, and was my 5th child born...I have noted numerous verses with the number 5 as well)

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

As I read in my quiet time often these words and others found in the scriptures; I did find hope and strength.

The last chapter 42 also says in verse 12...So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job...

So much comfort found in the scriptures. A treasure chest of wealth! I found there strength, hope, courage, comfort, and love.

It is quite noteworthy that after the book of Job..and his trials...comes the Book of Psalms. Praises to our God! Psalm 136...each verse ends with...for his mercy endureth forever.

My quiet time...a precious time.