I Will Praise You In This Storm

Yay it is Friday!  I hope you have had a good one.

Pat had a better day today and actually worked about ten hours.  Gosh, I do not know how he does it.  I admire his determination and will to push through the pain.  He and I were chatting today at his office and he says his whole body hurts.  My prayer is that each day gets better and that he has some really good days before we return to Tulsa on Thursday.

I bought my Change Your Life Bible from Becky Tirabassi in 2007.  It is a special edition of the 365 day Bible that she produced.  I was thinking today how God has used this Bible to transform me and strengthen my relationship with Him.  Before I bought this particular Bible, I read the Life Application Bible, but I would just jump around and most of the time I would avoid the Old Testament because at the time I thought it was boring.  After I started reading my 365 I watched His word come alive.  In this past year, the Lord has spoken to me the most through the Old Testament.  I love the fact that I can read it year after year and look back at the notes and the scripture that I underlined these past three years and see where we have been.

This morning like many mornings I felt the Lord had a special word for me.  I have been reading in Isaiah this past week and it has been rich.  Today I read chapter 61:8: "...I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.  Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations.  Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed."  My prayer from the beginning of this journey, which is now one year ago, is that my children would become Men and Women of God and that they would fall deeply in love with Him.  I pray that their lives will glorify God.  The above verse comforts me because I know He hears my prayer and He has my children in the palm of His hand.   

I then read in the New Testament Philippians 1:27, "I will know that you are standing side by side fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.  Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him."   This words are sweet as Pat and I are standing side by side.  On Thursday morning after I got up out of my chair and was headed to the bathroom to get ready I started to sing Casting Crowns' song, "Praise You in the Storm".  As I was putting my makeup on that song came on the radio.  I knew that Pat was driving to work at that time and he was listening to the same radio station.  I texted him, "We will praise Him in this storm."  He replied, "Yep...no doubt". 

There is no way I could survive this journey without Him, His strength, guidance and His precious word.  He is so intimate with me and I am humbled and in awe. 

Sweet dreams,
xoxo  . 

He Bends Down To Listen

Just wanted to pop in a say a quick hello! Pat and I had one of those hard days and unfortunately we both had one on the same day.  He has not felt good today, but did go in for just a bit.

Today my heart is heavy and hurting because it is so hard to see him in pain.  Oh, how I wish I could trade places with him. My friend sent me this verse this morning, "

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3: 22-24

So, I cry out to God and I know He hears me which reminds me of one of my favorite verses in Psalm.  "Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!"  Psalm 116:2. 

In His Grip, 

xoxo

Hard Days

Hello!  I just got in from running and I am dragging and feeling a little stiff.  Oh how I hope to one day enjoy this.  I laughed at my sister today when she called.  She asked me how my run was last night and she was happy I enjoyed it.  I asked her what made her think I enjoyed it and she said she saw my FB status when it said, "I just ran the Couch to 5K with Joy and Wendy."  I said, "Kelly, Joy is a friend of mine who lives down the street from me!"  Bahaha!

Pat has not had a good day today.  He went to work this morning early, but had to come back home.  He is in quite a bit of pain, weary and frustrated. The hardest part of this journey for me is to see him hurting.  Please pray the pain lifts and the next few days will be better ones. 

I loved what I read today in my devotion and needed it so much.  While in prayer we are to stand firmly on a promise of God.  By doing so you will obtain enough power to throw open the gates of heaven and to take it by force.  Jesus desires that we would be very specific in our requests asking for something definite.  "What do you want me to do for you?" (Matthew 20:32) is the question. He asks everyone who comes to Him during trials and affliction.  Make your requests earnestly and specifically, if you desire definite answers. It is the aimlessness of prayer that accounts for so many seemingly unanswered prayers.  Be specific in your petitions. Fill out your check for something definite, and it will be cashed at the bank of heaven when it is presented in Jesus' name.

Well, I am making my requests and writing my check to my Father asking for healing for Pat.  He continues to remind me of the scripture he gave me a year ago (Exodus 14:13)  Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” So, I claim and stand on this promise.  Your promise gives me peace.

Hugs! xoxo

I'll Say It Every Single Time - Home Sweet Home

We arrived safely home around 1 PM today and we are so happy to see our kids (except Matt because he is at school) and Cash. I feel like we have been gone for more than five days. Pat had a really slow start this morning and was apprehensive about getting on the plane due to some nausea, but he has his wonder drug, Zofran, that does the trick. Thankfully, the flight is just 45 minutes long. As the day grew on he felt a little better. He had to have the Neulasta shot last night so the bone pain is beginning.

I am looking so forward to my bed tonight as sleep did not come that easy this last week and what a great week to start having hot flashes! Geez! I have always been the one cold around this house, but Pat and I have switched places.

The scripture 2 Corinthians 5:7 says "We live by faith , not by sight." I have to remind myself that I cannot judge my faith by my feelings although it is very difficult. We are to look at the facts and not the feelings. In my devotional today the author says that God never gives us feelings to enable or encourage us to trust Him and He never gives them to show us that we have already completely trusted Him. God only gives us feelings when He sees that we trust Him apart from our feelings, resting solely on His word and His faithfulness to His promise.

That is all I have to keep me focused on this journey. That is why I spend a long time in the mornings reading His word and praying because I have to be refueled before I start my day. I have to cling to God's promises when I see Pat hurting or watch him try to put one foot in front of the other when he is having a bad day. When I look around at the patients in the cancer center, read the statistics of this horrible disease or watch a friend bury her husband who lost the fight, my feelings can easily win. This is where I have to focus on God's facts and His promises that he gives me when I read His word. I have to look back at what I know and that is God has never, ever failed me and he is the same yesterday, today and forever. It isn't easy, so I try to take one day at a time and pray my friend's, Becky, favorite prayer that I have adopted as my own: Father, go before me and go behind me.

I hear the bed and my very own pillow calling my name!
Sweet dreams, 

xoxo

Sunday in Tulsa

Hi from Tulsa.  We will be here until tomorrow morning.  Pat has had an okay day today.  He has extreme fatigue, moving slow and just doesn't feel good.  We will go to infusion tonight to disconnect the chemo at 10.

I got another God hug today.  My friend, Andrea Lyles, drove over from Edmond to spend the afternoon with us.  She and I were at college together at Southeastern and we have not seen each other since 1982.  Thanks to Facebook, we have become very good friends and she is definitely one of our prayer warriors.  I love you, Andrea and thank you for dinner.

I got on the dreaded treadmill today and actually found it easier as I was able to run further than when I am outside.  I am making progress, but I have only eight weeks and much more to go before I get in shape to run that 5K without walking.  I am determined, but I don't like it yet.

We feel your prayers and I know that is why I have such a peace today.  This journey would be so hard without you walking it with us.

Tootles!
xoxo