Believe

So, Hobby Lobby has half off all their wall hanging stuff this week and I need something for my wall to hang baskets from. This was $3.00




And this was $2.00 in the Christmas decorate it stuff:




So I took them apart, re-engineered them, reassembled them - and I really like what I got. I used leftover paper from my storage bins and my Ranger white pen.




BELIEVE is a very strong word for me. I remember as a little girl, this story being read to me from the Bible:

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.

and I often wondered - if Thomas did not believe it was Jesus....and he was a disciple.....will I also doubt?




But as I have grown in my life and my knowledge and wisdom, I know that I will not doubt. I simply just believe.

And I continue to create art that expresses who I have become.

Where did time go?

It is nearly impossible to imagine that Jason turns 30 tomorrow! Where on earth did my life go? And don't even tell me I'm old....I still think I'm the 30-year-old! LOL!

This pic was taken last Thursday. He has grown so tall, so healthy. I've written his story before, but realizing that 20 years ago, when he was 10, his doctors said he would be dead in 2 years....all I can do is praise God that he has turned into such a healthy young man, free of all meds! So much for listening to the doctors! It was a long, hard struggle and there were moments when I wondered if we would ever make it. Health is such a priceless thing and if you've never had a chronically sick child...well, just be thankful!



1 Tim 6:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou are also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Jason, we fought the good fight. We won the battle of your health. And it is through my faith that I lay hold to eternal life.

I love you son!

Mom

Choices

I believe that there is a reason for everything that we do in life. I also believe that every second is a choice. Right, left. Good, bad. Sleep, work. We constantly make choices. And the summation of those choices is the path our life takes us on. And the journey continues to amaze me.

For whatever reason, at the present time, my path is filled with cancer. Not in me, but all around me. My Aunt Eleanor survived polio as a child and is now battling cancer. Her daughter is a breast cancer survivor. I lost another cousin to brain cancer. My friend Joyce is a 12 year survivor. And I have other friends who are in the midst of the battle right now.

A few months ago, I stumbled across a blog being written by a former pastor of mine. I've kept up with it and want to share it with you so that you can read this most amazing story.

First. How many men would bother to write about their wife's cancer? His story is so amazing just from that standpoint alone.

If you want to start from today and go backwards, then click here

If you want to look at the progression of Carol's journey, then click here

I attended Jim's church from 1994 - 1997. I sang in the Living Christmas Tree. I sang in the church choir. I always enjoyed his messages....but I do believe he is writing his greatest messages in his blog about Carol.

If you read through all of his posts, you will learn that they combined a variety of treatments as well as prayer. But what comes across the most...is that we have the right to choose our treatment plan. We do not have to listen to our doctor...or to a group of doctors. We do not have to listen to what our health insurance limits us to do. We have the choice to seek out alternative treatments....or to simply pray, and let God take care of us.

I have learned so much about cancer, the options, the choices available through Jim's writings. At one point, I was crying because I felt certain Carol would not live until he wrote again. It has been several months that I have been following her journey.

And I cried happy tears the day Jim wrote that Carol walked into church without her wig on. I was just so proud of her. No, I do not know her on a personal basis....only as the wife of the pastor of this church that I attended. But just gaze upon her photos and you will see a woman who is a survivor. And a man who loves her.

I think their real story is just beginning.

"If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

It is a simple choice, to believe, or not to believe.