Free Flow Thinking
I want a small, inconspicuous tatoo on my wrist. One that will remind me to turn towards God, to be authentic, and to honor all those I've loved (and lost) to cancer. I want to defeat cancer through prayer and will power. I want the tatoo to be something for ME, not for anyone else to notice or question. But I don't want it hidden, I want it exposed. Authentic. Any suggestions?
I decided to keep my job. Someone else I know has struggled for over a year with a sucky job and while I have prayed for them and thought about them and hurt for them, I have also been unconciously inspired by them. After this weekend and a lot of thoughts, I remembered this person and I was convicted to follow in their steps. I will continue to look for a job with better hours, and one that has a less spiritually harming atmosphere, but for now I will put on the armour of God and do my job with a smile on my face. Dont' forget to pray for me on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays though OK?
This weekend I taught a childbirth class and the rush of joy and fulfillment was incredible. I have a 5 week series coming up which will take me away from my other job a little bit and so... all is well!
I miss my daughter so much. She was in church with me on Sunday and came to a party with us afterwards. But in between Church and the party, she was home. I heard Steph and Noah laughing together and playing PS2 and the sound was like angel music. And to hear Maddie saying, "sissy!" was so precious. I treasured the memory of a phone conversation with Steph a few days ago when she said, "I can't wait to see Noah and Hannah, I miss them!" I was reminded about how "Mary treasured all these things in her heart" and about how Jesus also had a mother who loved Him.
My friend Stacy has become a treasure to my every day. She is wise and God fearing, loving and tender, and not afraid to lovingly rebuke one's spirit. She counseled me in my marraige and brought me to a place where I could once again open my heart to God and to my husband. She helped me to see what was right in front of me and I will forever be grateful to her tender compassion... and also for the way she can make me laugh hard enough that snot flies out of my nose. Stacy and her husband have unfathomable trial in their life right now. Stan has cancer. He and Stacy appear to be attacking cancer with their love, their humor, their faith, and their constant willingness to accept what God is working on in their lives. How can you NOT see them and want to be just like them? Stan's smile is amazing - it's like a total beam of sunlight exploding outward. He is so smart and brainy and a little intimidating in that way but then he'll pop off some obscure slightly provocative comment and all you can do is laugh. He's warm and friendly - and a very hands on Papa which is something that always touches my heart, to see a man be tender with his children. Please, could you pray with me, right now, for their courage and spirit and faith... for healing, God's Will, for safety... for time... and that His provisions would continue to meet their needs moment by moment. Thank you.
I have been so blessed lately. I know I've done a lot of complaining, but it's definitely time to focus more on my blessings. I've been blessed by Jolen who drives a significant distance to care for my children while I work, and who prays for me also. I've been blessed by Katie and Brian and their huge sacrifice of time to care for Maddie on those late late nights I work. I've been blessed by Sue and Garrett and their daughters who've also stepped in and cared for my children. I've been blessed by Pastor Marty's BootCamp and how awesome his role model/friendship is for Noah - and also by Marty's consistent effort in reaching out toward David. Marty doesn't give up - and I hope he never will! I'm blessed beyond belief when I am at church, singing in the worship portion, and feeling God everywhere. I'm blessed when people I know hug me, touch me kindly, bring over dinner for my family, and do all of these things JUST BECAUSE! Once, some time ago, I came home to find a plate of scones and cookies and some delicious herbal teas "just to treat you with" left for me by Tanya, whom I know from church but have not really spent a ton of time with. What treasures God has placed in my life! All these people do the very thing that Katie once told me - God is weaving a nest underneath me with the love of all these people in my life. Carie's laugh, Tina's shared "parental moments", Kiley holding my baby in the big pool because I have personal ick issues with pools, David doing the dishes or the laundry even when he is sick. My cup OVERFLOWS! Let me share with you... Stacy, let me wash the floor ok? Chris, let me arrange the childcare for Andrew! Kim, let me hug you... I have so much to give and just not enough time to be giving.
My prayer is that God will work in me today, that God will be evident in me, that my actions, words, attitude, and thoughts will glorify and honor Him. I plan to serve Him today... so I better get off the computer and make myself available!
May the Grace of God go with you today...
Dionne
I decided to keep my job. Someone else I know has struggled for over a year with a sucky job and while I have prayed for them and thought about them and hurt for them, I have also been unconciously inspired by them. After this weekend and a lot of thoughts, I remembered this person and I was convicted to follow in their steps. I will continue to look for a job with better hours, and one that has a less spiritually harming atmosphere, but for now I will put on the armour of God and do my job with a smile on my face. Dont' forget to pray for me on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays though OK?
This weekend I taught a childbirth class and the rush of joy and fulfillment was incredible. I have a 5 week series coming up which will take me away from my other job a little bit and so... all is well!
I miss my daughter so much. She was in church with me on Sunday and came to a party with us afterwards. But in between Church and the party, she was home. I heard Steph and Noah laughing together and playing PS2 and the sound was like angel music. And to hear Maddie saying, "sissy!" was so precious. I treasured the memory of a phone conversation with Steph a few days ago when she said, "I can't wait to see Noah and Hannah, I miss them!" I was reminded about how "Mary treasured all these things in her heart" and about how Jesus also had a mother who loved Him.
My friend Stacy has become a treasure to my every day. She is wise and God fearing, loving and tender, and not afraid to lovingly rebuke one's spirit. She counseled me in my marraige and brought me to a place where I could once again open my heart to God and to my husband. She helped me to see what was right in front of me and I will forever be grateful to her tender compassion... and also for the way she can make me laugh hard enough that snot flies out of my nose. Stacy and her husband have unfathomable trial in their life right now. Stan has cancer. He and Stacy appear to be attacking cancer with their love, their humor, their faith, and their constant willingness to accept what God is working on in their lives. How can you NOT see them and want to be just like them? Stan's smile is amazing - it's like a total beam of sunlight exploding outward. He is so smart and brainy and a little intimidating in that way but then he'll pop off some obscure slightly provocative comment and all you can do is laugh. He's warm and friendly - and a very hands on Papa which is something that always touches my heart, to see a man be tender with his children. Please, could you pray with me, right now, for their courage and spirit and faith... for healing, God's Will, for safety... for time... and that His provisions would continue to meet their needs moment by moment. Thank you.
I have been so blessed lately. I know I've done a lot of complaining, but it's definitely time to focus more on my blessings. I've been blessed by Jolen who drives a significant distance to care for my children while I work, and who prays for me also. I've been blessed by Katie and Brian and their huge sacrifice of time to care for Maddie on those late late nights I work. I've been blessed by Sue and Garrett and their daughters who've also stepped in and cared for my children. I've been blessed by Pastor Marty's BootCamp and how awesome his role model/friendship is for Noah - and also by Marty's consistent effort in reaching out toward David. Marty doesn't give up - and I hope he never will! I'm blessed beyond belief when I am at church, singing in the worship portion, and feeling God everywhere. I'm blessed when people I know hug me, touch me kindly, bring over dinner for my family, and do all of these things JUST BECAUSE! Once, some time ago, I came home to find a plate of scones and cookies and some delicious herbal teas "just to treat you with" left for me by Tanya, whom I know from church but have not really spent a ton of time with. What treasures God has placed in my life! All these people do the very thing that Katie once told me - God is weaving a nest underneath me with the love of all these people in my life. Carie's laugh, Tina's shared "parental moments", Kiley holding my baby in the big pool because I have personal ick issues with pools, David doing the dishes or the laundry even when he is sick. My cup OVERFLOWS! Let me share with you... Stacy, let me wash the floor ok? Chris, let me arrange the childcare for Andrew! Kim, let me hug you... I have so much to give and just not enough time to be giving.
My prayer is that God will work in me today, that God will be evident in me, that my actions, words, attitude, and thoughts will glorify and honor Him. I plan to serve Him today... so I better get off the computer and make myself available!
May the Grace of God go with you today...
Dionne
Hey D-
So this thought entered into my head, about your tatoo.
Is there a way to design a figure that looks like a fat "C" when it's on its side? But looked from a different orientation, it looks like an hill with a whole in it?
The symbolism, in case it isn't obvious:
The "C" stands for Cancer and the hill with the whole in it represents Jesus' empty tomb, which in turn stands for Jesus conquering of death and the reseruction, two things which are more powerful than even cancer. (Perhaps there's some way to incorporate a dot which looks like a period for the c and a stone rolled from the empty tomb when viewed in the other way.)
I'm not a visual person... I don't at all have a picture in my brain of extactly how this would all look, so maybe it wouldn't even work...
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