Comfort Spills

God

The Father of all mercies.
The God of all comfort.

Comforts me.

In all my tribulation.So that I may be able to comfort anyone in trouble. With God comfort.

As suffering abounds in me, my consolation in Christ abounds.

If I am afflicted, if I am comforted, it is because God is able to bring salvation and comfort to others that will enable them to endure, to persevere along their own earth journey.

And my hope for you is strong and sure. I know from personal experience that your suffering will never outweigh the consolation of God's comfort.

Life's burdens are immeasurable - beyond the capabilities of my strength.

Even though I have the sentence of death in myself . . . in this present case - stage III cancer. . . I learn to not trust myself - but to trust my God - the God who raises the dead. Who also resurrects the dead places of my heartscape, bringing quietude, grace, and life.

God has delivered me from the death of hope. He is delivering. He will continue to deliver.

And you, dear ones, by joining in prayer for and with me, create a geyser of human gratitude for the gift of our God's comfort and grace.

A gift that grows from heart to heart.

Paraphrased by Caitlin

2nd Corinthians Chapter 1:3-11

The wind blown look?

One of my oncologists recommended that I cut my hair. He said that it will decrease the chances of me loosing all of it. Even though I'm okay with being bald for awhile I decided to go short for now and see what happens. I've always wondered what it would be like to have really short hair. Cancer is a wonderful incentive to chop it off and try something new! So I asked my sister Shaila to bring some scissors and have fun with it.

It was an awful sound that I will never forget - that first cut. But I'm glad I did it!

Freshly washed - we'll see what it does . . . It'll take a few days of playing with it and I think I'll have her bring me some hair gel.

But I like it! It's restored a measure of spunk after being um... a bit under the weather lately. Shaila did a fine job - in spite of my wiggling about.

Additional news: I began my first round of chemo treatments today. Radiation will begin tomorrow. I'm feeling stronger each day since the surgery last Friday. There have been some hard challenges, but God is faithful and He is carrying me through this. Thank you for the prayers, cards, flowers, emails and endless showers of love that have been sent. Each thought and visit warms my heart and I am grateful to each of you for your love!

His song is with me!

An off the record lab draw.
A trip to the ER.
Hemoglobin = 4
12 units of blood
2 scopes
A night on the ventilator

Diagnosis: signet cell adenocarcinoma of the EG junction
No evidence of metastasis!

Facing port placement, feeding tube, radiation, chemo therapy and surgery.

I have peace.

"The Lord will command His loving kindness in the daytime,
And at night His song shall be with me -
A prayer to the God of my life." Psalms 42:8

Thank you for your prayers!
You are loved!

Winter Delights

Oooo!!! Look it snowed! 9+ inches!!!

Powder light - Ski perfect snow!

Skirt makings

Blanketing

Music Making

Michele in her element!

Cold but happy!!!

Warm bread

Jennie's fabulous tofu keash

And you should have seen us sledding!!!

Woods Walking

Cranberry Orange Pecan Swirl Cookies

Winter Storm

Gangly to Graceful

When I sewed a very long seam to fast and and then realized the fabric was flipped to the wrong side, my mom offered to rip it out for me.... I used to detest ripping out seams.

When my physics teacher let me sit in his office an hour every day when I needed help figuring out my homework.

When I tore my skirt in an awkward jump over a barbed wire fence and Grandma's patient fingers made it like new again.

When my sister doesn't remind me that I'm wrong.

When my gas tank was on empty and I got stuck in a traffic jam for two hours - and my car didn't run out.

When my brother carries the load that I cannot.

When neither myself nor my family could afford the school bill, and someone gave enough.

When my words are sharp and too quick, my roommate with her quiet gentle ways reminds me: "I love you!" Or when she bought me toothpaste before I even realized I was running low.

When Daddy gets down on his hands and knees to sop up the grape juice I spilled on the light carpet.

I am not by nature kind or gracious, but all the wonderful people in my life have lived out Grace and graced my heart. Reteaching me the notes I've forgotten and coaxing my heart to sing.

Undeserved. Unexpected. Unusual.

Grace

Horse Tales from Heaven

A delightfully written collection of stories drawn from 15 years of living in the saddle while Rebecca was working as a wilderness ranger and guiding pack trips. From grizzly bear encounters to surviving a 240,000 acre forest fire, she draws profound and sometimes humorous insights into the heart of God and His care for each of our lives.