Monday, December 23, 2013

Gifts of silver and gold




Things are moving along quite quickly now, I am trying not to get too overwhelmed with all the little details.
The kids will be coming up Christmas night...Please pray for their safe journey.
You would think that I would be getting really nervous right  about now, but
the closer we get to Thursday, the more anxious I am to get it over with so that I can return home and begin the recovery process!
I should be kept in the hospital overnight, and return home Friday.
I hope to be able to type (legibly) soon after, so that I can post on here soon.
I am looking forward to time with family this week, so I probably will not be back on here until after surgery, so I would like to wish you all a very Blessed Christmas & a Happy New Year now!
And when I look under the Christmas tree this year, I see a big beautiful gift wrapped in silver...It has my name written on it, and it is the gift of LIFE!
Thank you my Father for this gift this Christmas...And thank you for the gift of Jesus given to us on that very first Christmas day! That is the gift I see wrapped up in Gold...The gift of ETERNAL LIFE!



Blessings & Love,
& remember, we are...
~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Surgery Next Week!




Just got home from the appointment with my surgeon.



I have the most common form of breast cancer, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.



I had chest x-rays and blood work done today.



This type is aggressive so we are being aggressive!



I will be undergoing a double Mastectomy on December 26th.



Pray that it has not spread to the lymph nodes...It has already began to invade breast tissue.



I told the surgeon that his job is to get it the H#LL out of me, and I will do the rest!



I will need chemotherapy...but probably not radiation...Standard is 6 months of Chemo.



Just when I finally got a hair-cut that I really like!



My surgeon answered all of our questions, and even offered to go along with us if we wanted to get a second opinion.



Thank you so much for your prayers…There is power in prayer.



Thanks to Brenda for leading me to this scripture:



The joy of the Lord is my strength…It got me through so far when I put it together with…In His presence is fullness of joy…the joy of the Lord is my strength…Jesus said: My strength is made perfect in weakness!

And thanks to my dear friend Deb who prayed with me over the phone this morning…God does not do anything part way…He does a perfect job every time.



Blessings & Love,

And remember, we are…

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Praying for calmness




Oh how I hate to burden people with this especially at this time of year...And to worry my family so, is the hardest thing to deal with right now...My daughter is making wedding plans, and Christmas is just around the corner.

I really wasn't going to say anything...But the power of prayer and faith is needed when it is needed!

So, here goes...

The ultrasound found something suspicious…irregular borders on the lump…The surgeon may or may not do a biopsy tomorrow.
I hope they get it over with and not make me wait more than necessary…I have been waiting for 6 months already…(waiting for it to disappear…waiting for God to just take it away.)
Since that did not happen, I am trusting God with this still. Although I have questioned Him about what He is doing with my life just now…What am I supposed to be doing?
Weird thing is, even if it is serious…I feel a strange peace about this…I know that this human body is not perfect, that it can wear out, get old…change.
I feel like I am back in the Potters hand…not a bad place to be…but not so comfortable either.
I see a crossroad and I am standing idol until I know which direction I will need to go…I do not know the direction, but I do know the WAY…He walks with me…and he talks with me the whole time.
Even if it turns out to be nothing serious…after two scares in two years…I will stand and wait for direction still…Making some lifestyle changes in order to better care for this body that I thank the Lord for every day.
I did awake this morning in a panic…I am seeking the Lord today.
I deal with anxiety almost every day. (under normal conditions) I know that I can handle anything as long as the Lord equips me with His peace…But sometimes that shield falls for a moment or for an hour…And fear grips me.
I am praying for my fellow prayer warriors to help me hold that shield up now…Just like when Moses needed help to withstand in Exodus 17…

10Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.…

The nice receptionist called from the surgeon’s office today and actually told me that I could bring a teddy bear or anything with me tomorrow for comfort…I am bringing Jesus and my teddy bear of a husband!

JOHN 14:25, 26: "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
JOHN 15:26: "When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

And one of the things that the Holy Spirit will remind me about is this:


~Blessings & Love~
And remember, we are…
~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

December Sky

CIMG0183
As I sit on the floor of my bedroom I glance out the window. The clouds are heavy and they try  to veil the sun.
In the stillness below it is hard to tell if the clouds are moving, but when I look up higher, above the tall trees…I can see them slightly swaying as the clouds move ever so slowly.
CIMG0182
The sun is always shining.
Although it seems like nothing is happening down here below…The wind is actively moving high above the trees..invisible yet evident in it’s effects on them and on the clouds above them…We have only to look up…Look higher up.
When you ask God where He is, or what He is doing because it doesn’t seem like He is very active in your mortal life down here below right now, perhaps you are required to look higher up…Look above your circumstances here on earth, and seek Him more in the place where your treasures are stored…He is active there on your behalf…sending His angels to and fro to carry your prayers and administer to your needs…He catches your tears in His bottle, and prepares a place for you …there…Higher above the trees and the clouds where the Son is always shining.

Psalm 56:8 (KJV) put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

~Blessings & Love~
and remember, we are…
~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Infestation!


This is the Nativity set that we have displayed in our home for many years. I know many Christians proudly, yet with great reverence display a Nativity set in their homes during this special season of Christmas as well. 
We do this in hopes of  helping to bring the minds and hearts of all who see it back to the real reason for this season...Jesus our Savior, the best gift God has ever given to mankind.
So when I recount what happened with this particular Nativity set over the weekend...You might understand my reaction to it.
Last summer we had an infestation of carpenter ants in the loft of our garage. Jeff sprayed some ant killer up there and it seemed as if it had worked its magic...no signs of the ants.

So, we dragged down the plastic totes containing our Christmas decorations this past weekend only to discover that the tote containing the  Nativity set which was packed carefully in its own little box and placed on the bottom of the tote had been infested with carpenter ants inside of it...because there was a crack in the handle area of the tote!
What is normally a pleasant experience...decorating for the Holidays, became a tedious chore to clean out all the little dead ant bodies from the wreath and other things. Some of which needed to be discarded...But what was really disturbing is the fact that the only place where the insects where still very much alive was inside that Nativity!  The figurines were covered...All except one...The little manger with the Christ child lying in it...Not one ant dared to crawl upon it... ha-ha!

Because you will not leave my soul in hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:27

Okay, so I do know that the figurine is only a representation of the Savior...and not to be worshipped or idolized...But, I could not resist the deeper meaning of this whole scenario...You see, the enemy has been trying to put fear and doubt into my spirit the past couple of weeks...as I am undergoing tests on a suspicious lump or(mass).
So when I first saw the infestation last weekend..it felt like the devil was trying to infest my very spirit with something horrible and sick...  and his latest attempt came yesterday during a point where I was in panic mode and totally stressed from a difficult day out running from one hospital to another in order to get a disk and reports put together etc...When I got home, all I wanted to do was go to bed and shut everything out for a couple hours...But first I had to reschedule an appointment with the surgeon whom my doctor referred me to...They rescheduled the appointment for next Friday (the 13th). The receptionist was relieved when I told her I did not care about the superstition associated with that date. (I know it is God and God alone who controls everything in my life).
So as I lay in bed last evening, my thoughts started to wander into dark places once again, and for a time I entertained them...But Jesus will not be shut out that easily! He is my Shepherd ...and I am one of His sheep that hear His voice...even amidst the growling of the wolf at my door...Now I can only hear Him  telling me to not be afraid...for He is with me always.
The Lord has been telling me in so many ways these past weeks that He is with me...He is the light in the darkness...He will never leave me nor forsake me...just like my user name declares!
Then, this morning there came such a clear and gentle voice telling me to go outside where the Nativity figurines were left and bring them back into the house....and as I wiped the snow away from the little manger I read it's inscription and smiled...



...and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”). Mathew 1:23




~BLESSINGS & LOVE ~
And remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~


Friday, November 29, 2013

Happy Birthday Buddy!

CIMG3234framed

Thanksgiving 2013

Me and Jeff... *Notice that I am holding his hand down...He kept trying to do bunny ears on me, which made me laugh!

CIMG3212
CIMG3206

Youngest daughter Sarah and Son in law Josh

CIMG3223CIMG3226

Inside looking out on this black white Friday

For those not familiar with the term 'Black Friday'...Here's (part of) wiki's definition:

The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1961 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation was made: that retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss ("in the red") from January through November, and "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or "in the black". For large retail chains like Wal-Mart, their net income is positive starting from January 1, and Black Friday can boost their year to date net profit from $14 billion to $19 billion.

 Our definition of it around here:

A good day to stay home and sleep in where it's safe!

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.


A virtuous woman...Proverbs 31:21-25

~Blessings & Love~
And remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

November Days

CIMG0164
Sasha loves the snow.
CIMG0161CIMG0160
Buddy would rather snuggle with blankets… Me too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
Hebrews 12:28

Blessings & Love,
And remember, we are…

NEVER FORSAKEN

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Do not be confused or deceived


~In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust:
let me never be put to confusion.~
Psalm 71:1

Last night I watched TV…something I rarely do.
First I watched part of an episode about a real life ghost story…usually I will change the channel whenever I see stuff like that…but I felt for some reason that I should watch it.
The episode concluded with the statement that the ghost masquerading as an innocent little girl, was really a demon who showed its true colors in the end…This is something that I tell anyone who seems sympathetic to entities that they believe to be children or lost loved ones…The devil is deceiving, God says that it is appointed for man to die once and then he faces the judgment…The Lord also warns us against the practice of necromancy - (communication with the dead). God knows the danger that awaits us when we do…it is an open invitation for demonic forces to enter into your life!

"When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so." -Deuteronomy 18:9-14
"When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness." Isaiah 8:19-22

I used to watch the popular TV show ‘Ghost Hunters’ many years ago…back then when the team was called out to a home where families were having problems with a haunting, they would take a minister with them to read scripture throughout the home and tell the entity to leave…but nowadays, they just say the same thing over and over to the homeowners… “It is  harmless, and as long as you do not feel threatened,  there’s no need to worry.”…That is a lie straight from the father of lies himself! When did the investigators change their tune I wonder? Perhaps they’ve been influenced by the Hollywood crowd or one of the paranormal entities they’ve encountered, or seduced by fame and fortune? Only God knows for sure.

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." 1 Timothy 4:1-2

I know many people who still watch that show, and I have voiced my concern…After watching that other program last night, I decided to voice my concern once again…Do not be deceived by the popularity of so called ghost stories that are permeating the media in recent years!  Disembodied spirits of deceased human beings do not linger here on earth (according to the Word of God in Hebrews 9:27)…what lingers here, and often uses disguises are dark angels (demons), or servants of Satan.

 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Though this scripture is speaking (in context) about people…I believe that all servants of the evil one can and will often use this tactic in order to fool people into accepting them as something good in order to gain a foothold into their homes and lives.
The program that I watched last night was not the aforementioned program…But, why did I continue to watch something that I normally would have turned off immediately? The answer was revealed by what came on TV next: The History Channel aired a program about he Holy Bible…and what they began saying about Holy Scripture made me angry…But then I knew almost immediately as soon as the word ‘confused’ entered into the picture why the Holy Spirit had led me to read, underline, and even write out in my notebook early that morning Psalm 71…

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust:
let me never be put to confusion.


What we are witnessing in these last days is exactly what scripture warns us we will see happening…First, there will be wolves in sheep's’ clothing this is a reference to false Christians within the church. Their agenda is that of their master…to deceive and discredit the true Church of God! Is that even possible? That’s the rhetorical question that Jesus himself once asked…
First Jesus makes this statement found in Matthew 24:

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him. 24"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25"Behold, I have told you in advance.

And then according to Luke 18, He asks…

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8

The program on The History Channel included individuals who represented the church…They were joining secular forces to discredit the Word of God as being reliable, inspired, or even true…

Here’s an excerpt from The Huffington Post, about the program that premiered last night:

After breaking records with The Bible, the 10-part dramatic miniseries from reality show mogul Mark Burnett that aired earlier this year, the History Channel is banking on heightened interest in the religious book to attract audiences to its latest Biblical documentary that kicks off this week.
The six-part "Bible Secrets Unveiled," which premieres Wednesday night, promises to teach viewers about the "mysteries" and "hidden facts" of the the Old Testament and New Testament, saying it will take on the "provocative questions that people of faith yearn to have answered."
While the series, which was produced over six months through interviews with dozens of noted scholars in the United States and the Middle East, doesn't break new ground in Biblical studies, it's bound to be controversial in the eyes of viewers who take a more literal and theologically conservative reading of the book.
"A lot of Biblical scholarship is controversial from simply making unsubstantiated claims or by saying things like 'we found the Arc of the Covenant and the nails of the cross,'" says Robert Cargill, an archeologist and religion professor at the University of Iowa who was a consulting producer for the show. "We wanted the scholarship itself to be controversial, based upon the facts of what we have found in our studies."
Its first episode opens with Dead Sea Scrolls and follows with examinations of the traditional belief that Moses wrote the Torah (the documentary, like many Biblical scholars today, posits that the book was actually put together over several centuries), whether Adam and Eve were created together or one before the other and who authored the New Testament. The episode, "Lost in Translation," also dives into "who actually killed Goliath," says Cargill, who was filmed over the summer while at an archaeological excavation in Azekah, Israel, near the the site where's it's believed the Biblical battle between David and Goliath would have taken place.
In addition to Cargill, who was raised as a Christian but now calls himself an agnostic, experts were drawn from Islamic, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and secular backgrounds. They include Reza Aslan, whose book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, topped bestseller charts this year after a controversial interview about his Islamic faith on Fox News, and Los Angeles-based author and Rabbi David Wolpe.
"We look at the different approaches to the canon. There are some people who say the Bible is the word of God, while others say, 'well, people did the best they could to believe in the Bible a long time ago, but now we accept that everything wasn't created in six days, now we accept that there's evolution," says Cargill.
A Gallup poll from 2011 found that three in ten Americans said they believed the Bible was the literal written word of God, while a plurality said it was "the inspired word of God" but shouldn't be taken completely literally.
"Some people say the Bible is a political document, an economic document or a legal document. At the end of the day, it's a human document, and that's what scholars look at," adds Cargill. "But the reason it's so popular is because people have found so much value in it, looking toward it for nuggets of wisdom and guidance for how to life a better life."
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/13/bible-secrets-revealed-history-channel_n_4263055.html

I remembered reading warnings about The History Channel’s first Bible series mentioned in this article. They came from reliable sources so I did not watch it…Now I believe this next installment from The History Channel is proving to be a systematic attempt at discrediting  God’s Holy Word. Those warnings about the first program were right.
After this latest installment…who knows what is coming next. This is the apostasy Jesus warned us against in Matthew 24, my friends…Don’t fall for it!

The meaning of the word Apostasy:
Aposteinai in Greek means to "stand away from."

John writes of such apostates…

"They went out from among us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their going showed that none of them belonged to us" (1 John 2:19).

And Peter warns…

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, … (2 Peter 3:3)

And Timothy writes…

4 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of liars, who are seared in their own conscience, 3 who forbid marrying and insist on abstaining from foods that God created for sharing in with thankfulness by those who believe and who know the truth, 4 because everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is[a] received with thankfulness, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.   1 Timothy 4

After the church becomes infiltrated with these false Christians who seek to discredit the Word of God, and the world turns away from truth to believe a lie…The next phase (although I believe it happens simultaneously) will be the acceptance of evil things as being harmless or even good,

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

or to be trusted and even revered instead of God...

 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thes. 2:4

Talk about the devil being up to the same old tricks, Ha! He will try to take the place of God again…and the world will accept it. But God will not accept it any more than He did the first time Satan rebelled, in fact it will bring about God's final judgment on Satan once and for all. Rev. 20:7-10

In conclusion…
God is good and He cannot lie. (Mark 10:18, Hebrews 6:18)
The devil is the Father of lies. (John 8:44)
Man is not good. (Mark 10:18)
All men are liars. (Romans 3:4)

The word of God is divinely inspired (written by God through men). (2 Timothy 3:16)
You can trust The Word Of God. You cannot trust the word of man unless he testifies of/from the Word of God.

There are so many more scriptures that could be referenced on these subjects, but time and space won't allow for them all...so I urge you to  please study further from the Word of God yourself concerning these matters.

~Blessings & Love~
And remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Monday, November 11, 2013

More Lessons From Nature

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1

In my last post I mentioned that I was going to rake some leaves.
I did, and it probably wouldn’t have taken me as long if I could  have kept from looking at all the pretty patterned leaves!

CIMG3157 This one really caught my eye…It reminded me of life and death, and I could see the story of the sacrificial death of Jesus painted on it. The left side symbolic of his suffering and death, and the right side sure looks like blood, doesn’t it?…the way the water is pooled on top of the red color!…That made me think of the blood of the savior as the source of eternal life!
and then when my husband came home from work later that day, we continued raking into the dark hours of evening until we received a text that my husband’s friend had shot a deer for us, and wanted us to come get it.
My husband is very allergic to deer hide, so this meant that I had to do the dirty work of packing the doe with ice to keep until morning when the butcher shop opened.
Since I was very sore from raking, it was a task to climb up into our four wheel drive truck in order to take care of things. But I was glad for the meat and so I was not complaining!
At one point, my tender heart tugged a little when I looked at the doe’s face…those eyes! And then I studied her feet and thought about the scripture about hind’s feet in high places, and imagined the deer running through the forest and meadows only hours ago and I got a bit sad.

He makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me upon my high places. Psalm 18:33

But I heard the Lord ask me why I was sad when He sent us one of His creatures to nourish us with? I then thanked Him and I thanked the doe for her sacrifice. (I know that sounds corny) And I had already thanked my husband’s friend…who is a very good shot, and because of that we know that she did not suffer…it was a kill shot.
After I was finished with the deer in the truck, I had much trouble getting down from the truck and my husband helping me by the arm (being careful not to touch my gloved hands), said “Thank you for your sacrifice.” to which I replied “Glad to do it.” but he told me he was talking to the deer…Of course! ha-ha-ha! He thanked me too though.

CIMG3161CIMG3168CIMG3184

~Blessings & Love~
And always remember that we are…
~NEVER FORSAKEN~
~ PRAYING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE DEADLY TYPHOON IN THE PHILIPPINES~

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

God’s Night


The devil does not have a claim on this day or any other…

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24


CIMG3163CIMG3166CIMG3173CIMG3175CIMG3177CIMG3179
Thought I would share some pictures from my trip home from the library today…The colors are disappearing fast, and I want to capture as much as I can.  The last four photos are of our yard and the road in front of the cottage.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:18-23

Planet earth may be getting old and full of evil and darkness, and the creation might be groaning, but the Light of the Creator still shines brightly for all to see, and it is still pretty awesome to behold on a golden autumn day!

And is it possible that while we are looking upon the beauty of God's creation, creation is looking back at us? At least we know that  other people are looking for some indication of the presence of Jesus within those of us who claim to be his followers.
Remember, we are His image bearers...so do not forget to let your light shine!

CIMG3237

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

UPDATE TIME

 It's been sixteen months!  In April Jeff went into kidney failure and has been on dialysis. He's doing well so far. It was a very s...