I saw my oncologist yesterday. My blood levels were almost back to normal, which was good. Then I talked to her for the first time since I got the biopsy report back that said "no cancer" (Dec.28)
My doctor was encouraged by that report but "not convinced of it". I told her that I believe God has healed my shoulder, and she was open to that but said she still wanted to keep testing me, to keep an eye on it. SO...a month from now I will go back for a bone scan, a CT scan and a bone density test (to check on osteoporosis). I asked her about getting my port out but she said not yet, which means she believes I may not be through needing it. On a good note, I asked about going to Africa with Tom and she said "Yes, that would be fine." She thought it would be a good thing for me to do.
That was the report. She wants to be convinced there is no cancer and so she has ordered more tests. Ever since I left her office I have been thinking and praying and reading the Scriptures. Basically she spoke words to me that were words of doubt and concern and unbelief that there was a healing afterall. It is so interesting to me...I have one friend who is a well respected surgeon and he wondered about the first diagnosis, whether it had been read by the radiologist correctly or not. My doctor, who is a well respected oncologist, is wondering about the last test, the biopsy, and whether it was read correctly or not. I don't know the answer. I have to go back to what I do know.
I know that God has been moving in my life in a new way. I know there were many, many evidences of the Lord stepping into this story. Too many coincidences to be called coincidences. Whether there was no cancer and it was a false report, or if there was cancer there and it was an accurate report, I believe now there is no cancer. No cancer, in Jesus' Name.
NOW...how that looks on a scan or a medical report or a doctor's visit, I don't understand that part. Those are all "seen" things. I am believing the unseen.
That's faith. I don't understand everything, but I am believing that God has healed me.
I told her that I was fine with getting more tests and walking this out, because I believe the Lord will continue to show what He has done on each test I take.
I guess I was naive to think that this was all wrapped up and finished. I can see now that the battle is still on. Satan is not about healing, he is all about destruction. I am leaning on the One who has already won the battle against the enemy so many years ago at the cross. Jesus defeated our enemy, Satan.
He lost.
SO..."by His wounds" I am healed. I Peter 2:24
The story continues. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
January 21, 2008
Tom left for Africa on Friday and arrived safely in Ghana. I haven't talked to him but I got an email that said the trip was uneventful...which when traveling to Africa is a GOOD thing. All the luggage arrived with them, flights were on time, etc. We are thankful for his safe arrival!
Last week was busy getting Tom packed and ready to leave, but it was also a week of prayer, praying for people about healing. I felt like the Lord was going to open up opportunities for me to share my story with others, and that is happening almost daily. But along with that is the opportunity to pray for healing for the people that are contacting me. I am thrilled to pass on hope to everyone that calls me or contacts me in someway.
Three things happened last week. One was a dear friend in Tennessee that was asking for prayers regarding her thyroid. She went in on Tuesday and the levels were too high so the doctor wanted to get her started on thyroid medicine. But her daughter encouraged her to go get another blood test. Wednesday night many people were praying for her. Thursday she went in for the blood test and the levels were completely normal. We have been thanking the Lord!!! The other two were people that we went to their home to pray with them, praying for their healing and believing that the Lord will do that. We don't know how or when...that's God's job. We are just praying for them. It is pretty exciting to be stepping into this world of faithwalking.
I was thinking about the whole teaching that we should believe BEFORE we can see the evidence happening. The Scripture that comes to mind is Mark 11:24 "Whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you've already received it and it shall be yours." Jesus said that.
That is SO hard!
The definition of faith is believing without seeing and taking action. I started thinking about how we do that with relationships. If there is a conflict between me and someone I love, I want to go ahead and step out with action showing love even if I'm not completely "feeling" it. For example, if Tom and I had a fuss about something (yes, it's true, sometimes we fuss)...even to the point of being irritated with each other, we would still at some point try to hug and make up and say "I love you". My heart may still be irritated, but my words were true. My words and action were going ahead of my feelings.
So...believing the unseen is kind of like that. You speak and act in ways that say "I believe this is going to happen by God's power" even if your "feelings" haven't quite caught up with your words. This is something I am learning, I sure don't have it down. But I believe the Word of God, the Scriptures, are true. So if they're true, then...WOW! That's what it says..."it shall be yours". My whole life I've added my own qualifying words to that sentence. Well...it shall be mine IF it's what God wants and if I'm good enough or whatever. Those words are not there. It says "if you believe that you've already received it, it shall be yours."
SO...I'm learning to pray differently. I'm still learning. I'll keep you posted.
Thank You, Lord, for today. Thank You for all Your blessings that You continually give to us! I'm so grateful to You for Your love, Your mercy and the joy that You've given to me. You are an awesome, holy God!!!
Last week was busy getting Tom packed and ready to leave, but it was also a week of prayer, praying for people about healing. I felt like the Lord was going to open up opportunities for me to share my story with others, and that is happening almost daily. But along with that is the opportunity to pray for healing for the people that are contacting me. I am thrilled to pass on hope to everyone that calls me or contacts me in someway.
Three things happened last week. One was a dear friend in Tennessee that was asking for prayers regarding her thyroid. She went in on Tuesday and the levels were too high so the doctor wanted to get her started on thyroid medicine. But her daughter encouraged her to go get another blood test. Wednesday night many people were praying for her. Thursday she went in for the blood test and the levels were completely normal. We have been thanking the Lord!!! The other two were people that we went to their home to pray with them, praying for their healing and believing that the Lord will do that. We don't know how or when...that's God's job. We are just praying for them. It is pretty exciting to be stepping into this world of faithwalking.
I was thinking about the whole teaching that we should believe BEFORE we can see the evidence happening. The Scripture that comes to mind is Mark 11:24 "Whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you've already received it and it shall be yours." Jesus said that.
That is SO hard!
The definition of faith is believing without seeing and taking action. I started thinking about how we do that with relationships. If there is a conflict between me and someone I love, I want to go ahead and step out with action showing love even if I'm not completely "feeling" it. For example, if Tom and I had a fuss about something (yes, it's true, sometimes we fuss)...even to the point of being irritated with each other, we would still at some point try to hug and make up and say "I love you". My heart may still be irritated, but my words were true. My words and action were going ahead of my feelings.
So...believing the unseen is kind of like that. You speak and act in ways that say "I believe this is going to happen by God's power" even if your "feelings" haven't quite caught up with your words. This is something I am learning, I sure don't have it down. But I believe the Word of God, the Scriptures, are true. So if they're true, then...WOW! That's what it says..."it shall be yours". My whole life I've added my own qualifying words to that sentence. Well...it shall be mine IF it's what God wants and if I'm good enough or whatever. Those words are not there. It says "if you believe that you've already received it, it shall be yours."
SO...I'm learning to pray differently. I'm still learning. I'll keep you posted.
Thank You, Lord, for today. Thank You for all Your blessings that You continually give to us! I'm so grateful to You for Your love, Your mercy and the joy that You've given to me. You are an awesome, holy God!!!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Faith
Way too much time has gone by since I've written last. Let me try to catch up.
We went to Dallas for the Medical Mission Conference. What a blessing that was to be with so many people who care about world missions and are either full time missionaries or people who use their vacation time to share their gifts in poor countries that have a great need. The conference went well, which was an answer to prayer. We were so grateful for the Lord blessing the whole weekend.
Ever since I found out my good news I've been telling my story to whoever stops long enough to listen. The main point that I say is that I believe the Lord healed me, from the time I heard the diagnosis in November to when I heard the great news on Dec. 28th that there was no cancer. Sometimes I give the 5 minute version, sometimes I give the full-length version which takes about an hour or so. As I start to tell the story I can see on people's faces how they are receiving the news. Some people listen politely and speak words of thankfulness for the good news, but I can sense their uncertainty about my perspective. They usually say "well...what WAS it?" (if it wasn't cancer). I say "I don't know." And I don't really know. The CT scan for the needle biopsy was not recorded on a film/CD...it is done live...so I don't know what they saw when they did the biopsy. I will see my doctor in 2 weeks. She may want another test done, I don't know. What I DO know is that the biopsy came back and they said the samples they extracted were bone fragments and blood. "No atypical cells present." Bones and blood. That's a good thing. :-)
Another response is that maybe the original radiology report was totally off. False report. I think that's possible. But I don't know that. What I DO know is that my doctor looked me in the eye and said the report says you have metastatic bone cancer, Stage 4. That was the report until it changed 5 weeks later.
Another response is total acceptance and dancing joy! They are just happy for me and rejoicing with me, without hesitation, without questions.
The more that I tell the story to people, whether they are close friends or strangers, the more I realize everybody has to decide what they believe as they listen to me tell my version of it. I thought about all the healings in the Bible and how the healed person would go home and tell the whole town what had happened to them. Then the listeners had to decide "is it true?" or "I need more information" or "who is this Jesus?" They had to decide themselves what they would believe.
A couple of days ago I walked into the kitchen and Tom and Mary were looking out our picture window, looking down on the ground. A bird had flown into the window and crashed and was on the ground. That happens more than we want at that window. We've seen some recover and some die. SO...I walked in and Mary was crying. She told me what had happened and she was sad because neither one of them thought the bird was going to make it. They watched it try to fly but it couldn't get off the ground. It was alive but not moving. I went over to Mary and hugged her and said "Let's just pray about this bird." She agreed. So I prayed "Lord, this bird needs healing. You made it. You created this precious creature. He can't sing your praises if he dies. Please, restore his strength so he could get back to singing praises to You, O God. Please heal him. In Jesus Name."
We looked down at the small bird. He started turning his head, looking around. Then, all of a sudden, he flew! He was gone! Mary and I looked at each other and started laughing...then gave each other a high five! :-) We thanked God for healing the bird! I know that bird is singing again, singing praises to the Creator of All.
Later I thought about that event. When the bird flew, we had to decide right then and there...WHY did the bird fly? Was it because we had prayed or was it because he was going to fly anyway? We decided to believe that God had indeed done just what we asked him to do...and the bird was healed. And then we thanked Him.
I've decided that this whole faith thing requires stepping out into a status of foolishness or wackiness.
Hey...I want to be foolish for Jesus. Go ahead and call me wacky. I'm there. I'd rather live in a world walking with Him then wondering if He's real. I do not wonder. I do not wonder. The more you step toward believing, the more the coincidences are just not coincidences anymore. They are Him, moving and working and orchestrating life. He is alive and active...and I am living proof of that. I KNOW and believe this truth...He healed me.
Thank You, O God, my Friend and Healer and Savior!
2 Corinthians 5:7 "We live by faith, not by sight."
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
"Jesus Freak" lyrics (D.C.Talk)
What would people say if they knew I was a Jesus freak?
What would people do if they found out it's true?
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no denying the truth.
We went to Dallas for the Medical Mission Conference. What a blessing that was to be with so many people who care about world missions and are either full time missionaries or people who use their vacation time to share their gifts in poor countries that have a great need. The conference went well, which was an answer to prayer. We were so grateful for the Lord blessing the whole weekend.
Ever since I found out my good news I've been telling my story to whoever stops long enough to listen. The main point that I say is that I believe the Lord healed me, from the time I heard the diagnosis in November to when I heard the great news on Dec. 28th that there was no cancer. Sometimes I give the 5 minute version, sometimes I give the full-length version which takes about an hour or so. As I start to tell the story I can see on people's faces how they are receiving the news. Some people listen politely and speak words of thankfulness for the good news, but I can sense their uncertainty about my perspective. They usually say "well...what WAS it?" (if it wasn't cancer). I say "I don't know." And I don't really know. The CT scan for the needle biopsy was not recorded on a film/CD...it is done live...so I don't know what they saw when they did the biopsy. I will see my doctor in 2 weeks. She may want another test done, I don't know. What I DO know is that the biopsy came back and they said the samples they extracted were bone fragments and blood. "No atypical cells present." Bones and blood. That's a good thing. :-)
Another response is that maybe the original radiology report was totally off. False report. I think that's possible. But I don't know that. What I DO know is that my doctor looked me in the eye and said the report says you have metastatic bone cancer, Stage 4. That was the report until it changed 5 weeks later.
Another response is total acceptance and dancing joy! They are just happy for me and rejoicing with me, without hesitation, without questions.
The more that I tell the story to people, whether they are close friends or strangers, the more I realize everybody has to decide what they believe as they listen to me tell my version of it. I thought about all the healings in the Bible and how the healed person would go home and tell the whole town what had happened to them. Then the listeners had to decide "is it true?" or "I need more information" or "who is this Jesus?" They had to decide themselves what they would believe.
A couple of days ago I walked into the kitchen and Tom and Mary were looking out our picture window, looking down on the ground. A bird had flown into the window and crashed and was on the ground. That happens more than we want at that window. We've seen some recover and some die. SO...I walked in and Mary was crying. She told me what had happened and she was sad because neither one of them thought the bird was going to make it. They watched it try to fly but it couldn't get off the ground. It was alive but not moving. I went over to Mary and hugged her and said "Let's just pray about this bird." She agreed. So I prayed "Lord, this bird needs healing. You made it. You created this precious creature. He can't sing your praises if he dies. Please, restore his strength so he could get back to singing praises to You, O God. Please heal him. In Jesus Name."
We looked down at the small bird. He started turning his head, looking around. Then, all of a sudden, he flew! He was gone! Mary and I looked at each other and started laughing...then gave each other a high five! :-) We thanked God for healing the bird! I know that bird is singing again, singing praises to the Creator of All.
Later I thought about that event. When the bird flew, we had to decide right then and there...WHY did the bird fly? Was it because we had prayed or was it because he was going to fly anyway? We decided to believe that God had indeed done just what we asked him to do...and the bird was healed. And then we thanked Him.
I've decided that this whole faith thing requires stepping out into a status of foolishness or wackiness.
Hey...I want to be foolish for Jesus. Go ahead and call me wacky. I'm there. I'd rather live in a world walking with Him then wondering if He's real. I do not wonder. I do not wonder. The more you step toward believing, the more the coincidences are just not coincidences anymore. They are Him, moving and working and orchestrating life. He is alive and active...and I am living proof of that. I KNOW and believe this truth...He healed me.
Thank You, O God, my Friend and Healer and Savior!
2 Corinthians 5:7 "We live by faith, not by sight."
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
"Jesus Freak" lyrics (D.C.Talk)
What would people say if they knew I was a Jesus freak?
What would people do if they found out it's true?
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no denying the truth.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Still rejoicing!!!!!
It is Wednesday, January 2, 2008. Happy New Year to you all!!!
We have continued to praise God for our good news! I was so thankful that I found out while I was in Tennessee visiting my family so that we could celebrate all weekend while I was there! We shared the news with so many people, pouring out our hearts with joy, telling the story one more time.
I drove back to Arkansas on Monday. We found out our news was announced at our church Sunday morning, so word is quickly spreading here in town. We had a wonderful New Year's Eve at some friends' house and sang worship songs into the new year. Tuesday and Wednesday have been catching up on laundry days and taking down the Christmas decorations.
Tom and I are heading to Dallas tomorrow for the Medical Mission Conference. We will continue to tell people our great news and tell about how wonderful God is!!!
All praise to my dear God, who has blessed us so much! We are grateful, so grateful and heading into the new year full of joy and hope! Praise to God!!!!
We have continued to praise God for our good news! I was so thankful that I found out while I was in Tennessee visiting my family so that we could celebrate all weekend while I was there! We shared the news with so many people, pouring out our hearts with joy, telling the story one more time.
I drove back to Arkansas on Monday. We found out our news was announced at our church Sunday morning, so word is quickly spreading here in town. We had a wonderful New Year's Eve at some friends' house and sang worship songs into the new year. Tuesday and Wednesday have been catching up on laundry days and taking down the Christmas decorations.
Tom and I are heading to Dallas tomorrow for the Medical Mission Conference. We will continue to tell people our great news and tell about how wonderful God is!!!
All praise to my dear God, who has blessed us so much! We are grateful, so grateful and heading into the new year full of joy and hope! Praise to God!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)