Praising And Giving Glory (Lessons Being Learned)

 Photo credit: Lisa Stager (Sunset over Bud lake 2010)




Imagine my surprise as I opened this blog and was reminded of the subject of my last post on here entitled: 'The Power Of Our Words'
 Why the surprise?
God has been speaking pretty clearly to me as of late. The subject seems to be mostly about talking, you know..using words.
Well, sometimes I use too many words, Ha Ha!

This past week has proven to be quite difficult for me as I have developed several canker sores inside my mouth. We don't really know what causes mouth sores, and according to my doctor it is not any of the medications that I'm on. She examined my mouth and did discover that I do have a B1 (complex) vitamin deficiency as is evidenced by cracks and sores at the corners of my mouth. She could not conclude that this was in any way related to the canker sores inside my mouth though.
So it has been very difficult to speak. I would rather remain silent than to suffer the consequences of trying to talk too much.
I believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes however, I do forget this.

Again, I was reminded of Job in the Bible..and I could relate (to a point) because of my own health battles these last few years..God is not to blame for our suffering in this life, but there are good reasons that God might allow this suffering. I used to believe that we were never really meant to fully understand why this is. Now I believe that it is during these times of hardship that God speaks to us on a deeper level..IF we choose to listen to Him.

When you cannot speak without severe pain you are forced to choose carefully what you say..You are also forced to listen more.  This is hard to do for some of us.

Being more silent has also allowed me to think more, and suffering with more pain prompted me to ask the question "Why am I suffering so? What is God trying to teach me through this time?"

I am starting to feel a lot better today as I write this, but I do not want to forget what I am learning..I don't want this lesson to slip away as I become more comfortable and ease back into my old habit of talking too much and missing the point of carefully listening to what God and others are really saying to me..especially to what God is saying.

The words keep coming to the surface: 'GLORIFY' and 'PRAISE'. Specifically, the question: "What/whom do you glorify and what/whom do you praise?"
In thinking this over, I realize that we may think we have understanding of what these words mean..but..Do we really?

Lets start with the dictionary meanings of the word 'GLORIFY':

glorify

verb

glo·​ri·​fy | \ ˈglȯr-ə-ˌfī

\

glorified; glorifying

Definition of glorify

transitive verb

1a : to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration

b : to elevate to celestial glory

2 : to light up brilliantly Chandeliers glorified the entire room.

3a : to represent as glorious : extol a song glorifying romantic love

b : to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual condition the new position is just a glorified version of the old stockroom job

4 : to give glory to (as in worship)

Okay, so here we see how we can glorify other things besides God. and I believe the point that was included here in 3b is worth taking a closer look at especially in relation to the next definition (4).

To do this I am going to reference This site which I highly recommend and trust.

Begin excerpt..

First, to glorify means to shine, to demonstrate and to manifest the divine. (Exodus 16:7; 24:16) In other words, glory represents the Lord’s presence. Throughout Biblical history, God manifested Himself in the Shekinah Glory and He was shown forth in the Pillar of cloud and fire that traveled with God’s people and that rested on Mt. Sinai. (Exodus 24:15-18)
That glory also filled the tabernacle in the wilderness. Listen to Exodus 40:34-35: “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” Often the Shekinah Glory would come at the hour of sacrifice. (See Leviticus 9:6, 23.)
Solomon’s temple was another anointed place where God’s glory permanently dwelt. (See 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3) His glory could be seen emanating from the temple for miles around. Also, God’s glory could be seen through some of the Old Testament prophets’ visions (Ezekiel 1:28; Isaiah 40:4-5), through Stephen in the New Testament (Acts 7:55), and through storms and other displays of God’s character. (Psalms 19:1-6; 57:11; 96:3; Isaiah 2:10) And, God’s glory is something we will all see when Christ returns. (1 Peter 2:12)
The second aspect of the word glory means to reflect, to show forth, to demonstrate and to express the image of an object or person that it may be seen by all. It means to add something to someone’s character that it, in itself, does not have. In the New Testament doxazo can mean to signify, extol and ascribe honor to. (John 11:4; 12:16, 23; 13:31; Matthew 5:16; 9:8; 15:31; Romans 15:6, 9; Galatians 1:24; 1 Peter 4:16) It is most often used of an external manifestation. According to the Bible, to glorify God means to bring Christ’s innate glory or radiance to light, to manifest it or to reflect it. (John 17:1)
Glory, then, seems to be the vehicle that conveys and reveals the true presence of God. In Scripture, glory means possession of the character, beauty and majesty that belong to the Lord. It means an exact representation of His being. It means reflecting His presence, His essence, His Life and His Name. Thus, to glorify God is to manifest all that God is. It’s showing forth His Self and not our own. (John 14:13; 16:14) It’s His glory brought to light in us. (John 11:4; 17:1, 5)

  End excerpt

In light of these verses and with understanding to the biblical meaning of the word 'GLORIFY", I now ask you once again: What/Whom do you glorify?

Now, remember the definition (part 3b) at the beginning of this essay?

3a : to represent as glorious : extol ..

b : to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual condition  ie: the new position is just a glorified version of the old stockroom job

This causes me to conclude that anyone or anything that we glorify other than God Himself is never worthy of such glory as our God!

Therefore, we show our love and respect for Him through our words, our actions, and our PRAISE.

So, what is the lesson I'm learning here through these last few days of suffering in silence?

I believe God wants me to stop glorifying people or things that are not worthy of my praise. This is something different from simply appreciating someone and giving them due credit for achievements or something they may have done to bless me or someone else..I am talking about the way we tend to give undo credit to, or give other people (or ourselves) too much importance..we worship them instead of worshiping the One who endowed them with whatever attributes they may possess. This also applies to objects in our lives..that can easily become idols to us. Again, I would like to remind you of this definition:

3a : to represent as glorious (I think this should say misrepresent) : extol ..

b : to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual condition

Maybe if instead of glorifying and praising ourselves or another individual, we started to give credit to our Creator..it would redirect the focus onto God and off of whatever idols we may have set up in our hearts and minds..which are our internal altars.

 Thanks for reading this long post!

~Blessings & Love~

and remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN ~

 

The Power Of Our Words

*UPDATE*
The scan was clear!
Praise The Lord!


I had a PET scan yesterday. The results are expected in the next couple days or so. My last scan last November was clear (NED)..No Evidence of Disease. I would be lying if I said I was not stressed as I await the result from yesterday's scan. But, the Lord reminded me of something the day before the scan..That life and death are in the power of the tongue.:

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Proverbs 18:21

Then the Lord reminded me of the many times I have spoken death over my life in one way or another..even saying things like I wouldn't join with Jeff in making any future retirement plans for five years from now..writing things, doing or not doing some things because I may not be around to complete them..etc..

So I had to remember, realize, then repent!

I hadn't even taken the time to share all the blessings that God has given to us in the past year here on this blog.
Blessings that seem to say: Look, Daughter..I'm planning your future!

First of all, there was the blessing of our little Oliver who came to me almost out of nowhere one day..He just crawled up into my lap and settled right in as if he just knew that was where he belonged!
Little did we know that just eight months later, our precious dog, Buddy would die from liver disease. We both agreed that having little Ollie helped to ease the pain, and thanked God for sending him along. He really helps to keep me going on those days when I just don't feel so great too.

The next blessing(s) came unexpectedly as well..Not one, but TWO of our daughters are expecting their first child!!! One is due this month, and the other in late August. The stories of these two baby girls (Yep, more girls for our family) are both stories about God's perfect will and about miracles.

The enemy really tried to do a number on me however when I learned that I would be a Grandma again though..He whispered terrible things into my ear, and once again I found myself unable to envision a future getting to know these little girls.

This week we are planning a family get together, and of course, the septic drain field collapsed, and we are still awaiting scan results, so stress is rising along with the water in my yard as we await the contractor to come fix it! The tank is still intact, so the water is only from my washer (gray water)..so our plans are not thwarted as, I am sure, the enemy hoped would happen.
The only thing that will chase the fears away is FAITH. The only thing that will quiet the enemies voice, is the voice/Word of GOD!

I'm listening to this song:

And I am listening to the voice of my God and Savior..NOT the enemy!



For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11


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

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

P.S.
I am unable to post comments on anyone's blogs for some reason. I seem to recall this happening before, and I hope I can remember how to fix it. Until then, please know that I have been visiting your blogs whenever I see an update on my blogroll here. <3 b="">

Broken Hearted/ Not Just A Dog

 I must tell you that our sweet beloved boy,  Bud passed away two weeks ago (2/25/19) from liver failure. He had only turned nine this past November 29th. We were/are devastated. You see, this dog was to the both of us that one dog..the one you only get once in a lifetime..the one that will forever be a part of your very heart and soul. No matter how many dogs we have had and loved and lost throughout the years, none can ever be what Bud was to us. He was with me through so much..Always here when I needed someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, or a pal to go exploring with. He stayed with me in my bedroom when I was too sick or too sad to go anywhere else..This was his favorite place in the world, and he died where he lived most of his life, where he chose to be most of the time..in our bed. It was his bed really. He only let me and Jeff use it. He slipped into a coma the last six hours..He seemed to be at peace, his last moment of awareness was when Jeff came home early to be with him. It was as if he waited to see his dad one last time. That was such a blessing for Jeff.

I cannot write more than this.

Thank you for reading.

~Blessings & Love~

Lisa

Cancer Update

Good News!

I had another clear scan on Monday!
There was a scar from the radiation on my right lung, but, according to the report..that is healing and getting smaller..
God is so good!

In The Potter's Hands

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.

    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

The Lord showed me something yesterday as I was talking with a friend.

He revealed to me how uncomfortable it can be when he decides to change us in order to be used according to his purposes..He showed me a picture (in my mind) of a pretty little teacup sitting upon a shelf, rarely used..too delicate to take down and handle every day and then need to be washed clean afterwards. Then he told me that I am that little teacup..or at least, I was.

 “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him . " Isaiah 43:7

He has been very busy with me, busy re-molding me into something different from what I used to be. Just like a little teacup which can only hold a very small amount of liquid, I was being filled as full as possible with the Holy Spirit and pouring out from the Word..but now the Lord has been changing me day by day, making me able to hold more of Him so that I can pour out more of his life-giving Word to more and more thirsty people.

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42: 1-2

This transition in my walk with the Lord has come with a price..with much pain and more than a little bit of complaint and questioning of "Why, Lord? I was perfectly content with who I was, what you made me for..with being a wife and mom, a homemaker, a friend to the friends that I had at that time. Why can't I just stay as I am? "

Some things needed to be emptied out first.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

 And, just like Isaiah, we are called to be purged clean in order to be ready to serve God.

  “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty.” The Bible continues to say in Isaiah 6 : 6,7 *Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.  With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”*

*(As the new testament church, we are made clean through the blood of Jesus)*

The Lord allowed some things to happen in my life, some things that literally broke me to pieces..because, you see, that is what must happen first before He makes the new mold.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Psalm 51:8

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. Psalm 51:16-17

 My health took a severe turn for the worst..I was forced to look death in the face and then make peace with the thought of dying.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:25

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 
Philippians 1:21

I lost some friends along that journey, but gained some new ones too.
 I suffered a lot, and realized my physical limits were harder to cope with than I ever imagined.
 I had to learn how to forgive..and forget too! I learned that this can only be done through giving grace the way The Lord gives more than we could ever deserve! By looking at myself realistically seeing the ugliest parts of my soul, and how only God can make me clean again! Then coming to the truth of who I am, who I think I am..certainly not someone who is better than anyone else, even those who have hurt me or let me down in this life!

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Certainly The Lord is not finished with me yet..I am still getting worked on..and, who knows what changes are being made. But I am learning to:

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Ok, so not every lesson is all about me, lol..Where are you in your walk with the Lord?

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

Praise Him!

My yard on a foggy morning

Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty.   Psalm 104:1

During treatment for metastatic breast cancer, I learned to lean upon The LORD in such a way that I will never forget. I would recite four scriptures to get me through some of the toughest times. I called these scriptures my "trifecta plus one":

1. God inhabits the praises of His people.

“But thou art holy,  O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.”
 Psalm 22:3

 2. In His presence is fulness of joy.

 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  Psalm 16:11

 3. The joy of the LORD is my strength

.. "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our LORD. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."  Nehemiah 8:10

 4. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phil. 4:13



~Blessings & Love~ 

and remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Buddy Needs Your Prayers

Just a quick post as we are on our way to take our boy, Buddy to the vet in a few minutes.
He has stopped eating for several days now ( reduced eating for a few weeks)and his weight has dropped drastically!
Please say a little prayer for him..he will be nine years old in November, so he is still not very old.
That's all for now..I will come back with an update soon.
Thank you and God bless~Lisa~
*UPDATE*
There is a problem with his liver. It's too soon to know whether it is curable (can be reversed) or something more serious like cancer. More test will be done next week. He lost twenty pounds and is slightly anemic and has jaundice. He was given a shot of antibiotic, vitamins, and cortisone for his skin disorder which has also flared up (unrelated to his liver problem).
*UPDATE* 10/6..
It's only been two days and he is doing so much better already! He is eating and acting more like himself again! Praise the Lord..Our prayers continue..Thank you.

Singing

Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:33

                           

I Love You, Lord!

(Click on link to listen)

It'll open in a new window so you can continue reading while you listen to the song if you'd like.

A couple nights ago I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep..something that seems to be a challenge these days since chemo has somehow disrupted my melatonin production these last several months. 

(Despite trying pretty much everything I've ever heard to do)

Well, that night as I lay there praying, I started humming then softly singing this song..and yes, I slept very peacefully through the night afterwards!

 Now, let me ask you something..

Do you believe the words of God?

What if God tells you ...

[I AM]The Lord your God in your midst,

[ I AM] (the) mighty one who will save;

[I] will rejoice over you with gladness;

[I] will quiet you by [my] love;

[I] will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 *[emphasis, mine]*

How comforting to know that my Lord and King..the Creator of this Universe..sings over me! Well, I must say, this was the first time I had ever sang to Him before falling asleep at night, and I hope it blessed my Heavenly Father's heart.

I had another PET scan at the end of August and there is a spot on the upper right lung, but the doctors believe this is just scar tissue that was caused by the radiation..Otherwise it was still clear!

Going back to church has been wonderful! I've been staying busy with going to the women's Bible study once a week, and then  attending Sunday service also. 

I've been visiting friends and enjoying my dogs all summer.

Last week a bad wind storm and confirmed tornadoes caused a lot of damage in our area. Jeff took me for a drive yesterday to see some of the worst of it.. My jaw dropped!

I am trying to decide whether to fix my camera or maybe get a new iphone in order to take pictures again..I can't decide.

We had a lot of trees cut down in our front yard recently (before the storms)..so things look very different out there. We also built a new porch on the front but need to finish up planning what to do with the area where  a grouping of large maple trees which I had named 'The Four Brothers' used to be.

The Four Brothers

As a token to remember them, Jeff brought me the wedges one from each tree to keep. I will take a picture of what I did with them at another time to post.

But for now...

~Blessings & Love~

and remember, we are...

~Never Forsaken~

Choosing Life!

An iris from my yard

I thought it was time to dust off the old blog!

I gave 'Facebook' a good try there for awhile, but I'm afraid I just couldn't stick with it..my page account is still up, but I don't post much..and finding it too time-consuming to try to keep up with it all. 

So, where am I at in this game of life? ..you may wonder!

The cancer has been declared to be in remission..however, before we think I'm out of the woods by any means, all that means is that my last PET  scan was clear. That is good news, but that does not mean there is no more cancer cells in my body..just the contrary, unless I make some radical changes to the environment that helped cancer to grow and thrive inside of me in the first place, it is still there microscopically and my immune system is even weaker now after months of chemotherapy and radiation, so fighting it off may be harder.

 So I am working hard to build my immune system back up and also to stay clean of as many toxins from food and other things that I was putting into my body for my whole life.

Not only have I resumed the vegan diet, but I am also exercising each day..just simple things like running/fast walking around the yard with the dogs. Although I am trying to work up to a run, my legs are still too weak from treatment to actually be able to sustain it, so I end up walking briskly instead.

The newest thing I have done is to quit drinking coffee! Those who really know me might be picking themselves up from the ground right now, lol!

I'm enjoying my green tea instead..and I am going to pick up some fresh lemons to squeeze into some hot water very soon..as lemons are known to really fight cancer growth and stimulate the immune system too!

My expectations are quite realistic. I realize that I may still die from this cancer..but I honestly feel that since I pretty much created a cancer-friendly environment inside of my body from years of eating refined sugar and other unhealthy foods, allowing stress to take over in many situations; (fear over faith), harboring unforgiveness, etc..I know that I can now clean out all the bad stuff and create a healthier cancer-resistant environment. With God's help I know it is even possible to reverse this nasty disease..But it is all up to me to try. 

 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

I'm choosing life!

Making lists

Busy beaver. Reedsburg Dam 2015

I've always been a list maker. It helps me organise my thoughts, and sometimes it's the only way I can feel calm. lately there's been more than usual on my mind.  Like all human beings, I have a lot of things to process through and to accomplish each day. As a person with a terminal illness I also have a ticking clock constantly sounding in my head now..Maybe we all  have that sense that we are limited (time-wise) here on planet earth..but trust me, my clock is ticking much louder than it used to.

I lost a friend and dear brother in Christ to cancer just last week. We both had our radiation treatments at the same time nearly every day in April this year..The last time we spoke he told me that they were sending him home to die, and that they said he had four months to a year left. he died less than two weeks later. As you can imagine..this really shook me. As a stage four cancer patient myself, this really shook me.
As of today, and as far as we know..The cancer that I've been battling is now in remission. Of course, we can only know that from one scan to another. My next scan is in August.
One of the best conversations I had with my friend Chris was in church a little more than a year ago when he found out his cancer had returned..I remember telling him that whether the Lord chose to heal him here or take him home..either way it was the Lord's will, and either way he will be healed. The last months of his life, the cancer had put him into a wheelchair with a head brace because the disease had spread from his spine into his brain.
But as my husband said: "Chris is standing tall now."

The loss of my friend also makes that inner time-clock tick even faster and louder now..and the lists of things I need to do become more urgent. This is stressing me out and it's not good to be too stressed when you have cancer cells in your body!
So I have decided to try and just write about it here on my blog.

Some things I am stressing about:
1. Church - (for reasons I cannot write about here) Jeff won't go with me anymore.
I have formed some really close friendships with many of the ladies there.. some even since my children were little! I don't have the time or energy to start all over again. It also is not easy or safe for me to go alone.
2. Lost friendships since cancer diagnosis. Some people cannot deal with it so they disappear.
3. Lost family relationships.
4. It's getting too hard with Jeff's RA and my illness/weakness to maintain this large wooded yard.
5. My camera has been broken for several months now..I don't know if I can get it fixed. I miss taking photos, but I'm blessed to have my cell phone to take photos with.
I already have so many photos saved on my computer that it has been taking me hours at a time to sort through them, and I am not finished doing that yet! Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.
6. Will I have the time and energy to be able to spend time doing things with my loved ones?
I am such a homebody. I cannot change this just because I am terminally ill..In fact, my illness has weakened me to the point of exhaustion some days. 

*I turned off comments for this post because I'm not looking for answers to or ideas about how to deal with the items on this list..I'm just venting in order to get them out of my head if possible. Please try to understand.

Feelin' kinda squirrelly!

A doodle I made a couple years ago

So, I've been staying offline lately.
The reason is because I've just simply felt so overwhelmed.
I recently started posting again on facebook, but not nearly as much as I thought I would..I get too distracted, and then before I know it the whole day is gone!
I have started so many different blogs in recent years, so many in fact, that I've forgotten about some of them.
It used to be that I only had this one blog, and I was busy happily posting here quite regularly..even had quite a few blogging friends with whom I enjoyed communicating with online. 
(Many have also left the blogging world in favor of FB, or for other reasons.)
So what happened?
Just like the funny little squirrels and chipmunks in my yard, I have hidden away too many nuts in too many places and as I am, by nature, a bit of a scatter-brain anyway, I am now needing to decide which medium I am going to post on..this blog, or another blog? Facebook? Soooo many choices!
Before I completely lose what's left of my mind, and end up cutting myself off from everyone online completely, I must make a decision..and therefore I've decided that this blog is the most enjoyable and (easiest for me) to use.
With the Lord's help and extra grace given to me, I hope to continue on with blogger from here on.
~Blessings & Love~
Lisa