A JOYFUL NOISE

F ive months . Well, a couple weeks shy of five months. This research study has been tiresome. This Chemo (drug) has been rough.   I had all the paperwork. I read all the common side effects. I read all the “less common” side effects. I read the “other not yet known” side effects. ·         Nausea & pain(different from my usual nausea & pain) ·         Extreme tiredness; insomnia ·         No energy ·         Brain Fog ( “now where did I put my JMU Alumni hat; I had it a second ago?”  “Mom: um, you’re WEARING it!!) yes, it’s laughable . ·         Then I got experienced the “Not so usual side effects” NOT LISTED : facial skin sores and worse scalp sores leading to chunks of hair falling out and pain on the scalp that even the warmth or any temperature of water hitting the scalp...

  For all of us, this past year has looked differently than the other years we’ve had. The uninvited ugly virus barged into our lives and caused havoc.   Many of us had to adjust to new schedules and routines, things had to be canceled or rearranged, and the term/phrase “emergency procedures” took on a whole different meaning.    Yet through it all, God remained (and still is) faithful to His children; He never forgot us, nor did he leave us in anyway, although at times it seemed so. During this pandemic (in the beginning of the year), ALL of my medical appointments got canceled.   You can read my previous posts: Persevere Until the End   to see how I was responding during this time.   (NOTE: Please don’t think the virus wasn’t hard on just me, I know it is hard on anyone and perhaps even harder on others than it is on me).    When I was finally able to get treatment for pain control from my Pain Management doctor, I was thrilled. (This was...

I need a quick fix, Becky! There’s no such thing as a quick fix, A I love this method, but isn’t there any easier way? It takes time, persevere !   Nothing comes easy. Just try it; have patience! Work calmly with your daughter. She’ll do it eventually….. Oh, Becky.. please help pray for her…it’s just all so much to handle! I am….we are.   You know that…..Press on. Don’t give up.   Over the past couple of weeks, I have been finding myself very busy.   It is a good “refreshing busy”—so much so that it’s been teaching me a valuable lesson.   In order not go into so much detail, A dearest friend I know has come to me and asked me help them with an action/behavior plan for one of their children (too much personal detail behind why they came to me instead of other professionals). I’ve know this family FOREVER, we grew up together and I know the kids very well.   I felt honored that they came to me for advice as well as comfort.   They recognize...

We’ve been in this COVID-19 quarantine for a month now.    Well, for me it’s been a bit longer because of my low immune system (auto-immune disease) and history of respiratory distress.   I’ve not been out of the house except for a walk around the block once or twice during the beginning of March. I am quite honestly about to go stir crazy. My parents do the grocery run as well as my necessary errands and pharmacy pick-ups.   My medical team stresses the importance of this precaution and quarantine.   It’s necessary. It’s important.   I get it; and I understand it.     Through this I’m realizing something far greater than taking precautions to try to keep myself healthy and out of danger…. These past weeks, I have really enjoyed seeing the beauty of God’s Creation as Spring is slowly unfolding.   The warmth and fresh (and not so fresh at times) smells that spring brings.   I love seeing all the flowers come back to life or new fl...

Despite my pain and low energy level, I try to do what I can; yet I don’t push myself too hard.    I try to make a habit of going the gym in the mornings.     I don’t do anything too intense (although I sorely miss Body Pump and Body Combat).    My gym days are usually 30-35 minutes bike ride and sometimes I follow it by 20-30 minutes of warm therapy water exercises.     Whenever I ride the bike, I turn on Netflix or Amazon Prime on my phone and put on a TV series just to pass the time.    However, the past several times, I decided to just listen to my iTunes.   Whenever I listen to my playlist, I usually have it on “shuffle” so it randomly plays music in no specific order.     I find comfort and reassurance of God’s love and sovereignty in His Word, through prayers, and encouragement from others.    I also find much encouragement through music.    Today, the song , Bring the Rain from ...

Let it go……… Don’t worry; I’m not going to break out into song from the beloved children’s princess movie Frozen .  Although, I wish we did have some snow for Christmas. Christmas.  My parents always ask me what do I want for Christmas; and every year I tease them and break out into the song of “ I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”.  And every year I get that same look from them. You’d think they’d learn by now not to ask me that question.  I usually never really know what to respond when someone asks me “what do I want for Christmas?” (or even birthday, for that matter).  I’m just grateful for what I already have and especially, during this time, for what Jesus have done for us: He came to earth in the form of Man, by being born to the Virgin Mary, so that He bear our sins and die in our place.   Every year, our Christmas celebration looks different.  There have been years were we have traveled up to New York to be with family, ther...

Not only is your affliction momentary, not only is all your affliction light in comparison to eternity and the glory there, but all of it is totally meaningful! Every millisecond of your pain….in the path of obedience is produce a peculiar weight of glory you will get because of that. I don’t care it was cancer or criticism. I don’t care it was slander or sickness. It was not meaningless! Of course, you can’t see what it’s doing. Don’t look to what is seen. Don’t say it’s meaningless. It’s not! It’s working for you an eternal weight of glory. Therefore do not loose heart—John Piper Yesterday (11/17/2019) a Pastor from our church read the above quote from John Piper.  A portion of his sermon was about how justification in Christ will bring Joy in suffering.   There is a purpose in suffering, even if we don’t know the reason now. I think I can safely say that we all know the truths and promises of God.  We can recite them and we can easily use them ...