Today's Joke

A "COOL" joke to cool you off in this 100 degree weather we are having . . . 

Gina got lost in her car in a snow storm. She remembered what her dad had once told her. "If you ever get stuck in a snow storm, wait for a snow plow and follow it". Pretty soon a snow plow came by, and she started to follow it. She followed the plow for about forty-five minutes. Finally the driver of the truck got out and asked her what she was doing. She explained that her dad had told her if she ever got stuck in the snow, to follow a plow. The driver nodded and said, "Well, I'm done with WalMart; now you can follow me over to K-Mart."         LOL!!!

Oatmeal Without lifting a Finger!

Want breakfast tomorrow without lifting a finger?

Place 1/2-3/4 cup of dried cranberries, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/8-1/4 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch salt in the bottom of the crock pot.  Pour in 2 cups of oatmeal, 2 cups of milk and 2 cups water.
Do NOT stir.  Cook overnight for 8 - 9 hours on low.
(Other options: 2 sliced apples, raisins, blueberries, bananas (after cooked), nutmeg, etc. - use your imagination!)
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Did you ever hear your mother say, "Eat your oatmeal"? As a kid I remember the bowl of basic plain old oatmeal!!  Today that plain old bowl of oatmeal has lots of added goodies!! Cranberries, blueberries, apples, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of brown sugar!   Did you know that just one bowl of oatmeal a day can keep the doctor away. Oatmeal also has many other amazing health benefits worth looking into . . .

so next time you hear the "oatmeal" word . . . try a bowl.  You might just find that your childhood taste of oatmeal has changed and you might decide it is really quite "tasty" to your taste buds and also a healthy benefit.

Three Things . . .

Mustard Seed Faith

Matthew 17:20                           

Mustard seed faith says what God says about any given situation.
- Dr. Danny Diaz

How many mountains could we move? Just think about it a little bit . . .

Do you realize how tiny a mustard seed really is??  Well, a mustard seed is 1.88 mm - not very big at all!!  Actually, it is about the size of the tip of a pencil lead!!

Nothing is really impossible with God . . . even with as little faith as a mustard seed!  Do we stop to realize that?  Do we realize what is really available to us at the end of our "faith"?  Faith the size of a mustard seed . . . that really is not very much faith!  A tiny mustard seed (one of the least of all seeds) when sowed in the field and when grown is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree. A tree that birds of the air come and lodge in!  (Matthew 13:31-32)

I like a little bit of mustard . . . a little on my hot dog and hamburger - but not too much!  I also like mustard on a bologna sandwich! It is good seasoning for potato salad and deviled eggs and many other dishes.  That little seed is very potent and the taste of mustard can be very overpowering!  It doesn't take much mustard for me to get the full robust flavor! 

Isn't that what God's Word tells us about "faith" . . . it doesn't take much faith to feel and see that robust act of trusting in God. A God that nothing is really impossible for!  It really is not "how much" faith we have . . . it is only that we have faith and it can be as tiny as the little mustard seed.  Maybe it is not so much in "how much" but in "how we use that bit of faith"!  Do we really believe God can answer our toughest prayers?  How about the little prayers I whisper to God though out my day to day routine?  Do I believe that He cares, that He wants the very best for me, that He is just waiting for me to exercise my mustard seed-sized faith in a Sovereign God that "nothing is impossible" or too hard for Him? And that He comes into my life and offers me the peace that passeth all understanding and the assurance that everything will be OK?

My faith in a God that knows all, sees all, hears all, and conquers all obstacles in life has been stretched over this last year.  Especially since discovering I had two brain tumors!! Looking back I realize that I was barely existing for the majority of last year.  I really don't know how I was existing - I was there but I really wasn't there.  People come up to me now and tell me that "I'm Back" - "it's me again"! My faith was ever so small - maybe even smaller than the tiny mustard seed! But God, in His goodness and mercy, looked at me and recognized it was ALL I had in my helpless situation. The brain tumors were growing and pressing against my brain limiting my every action from talking, thinking, doing, etc. I was barely existing . . . but God knew all about it!

My mustard seed-sized faith conquered those brain tumors! My recovery was miraculous - from speechless just 8 months ago and not being able to remember when I was born or even my name or my children's names - to talking and remembering, from stumbling on the piano to again playing it and even playing for the praise team at church every week now, from not being able to write or spell words to once again writing on my blog!! Sometimes I still have to slow down and think and say some words over again in my mind every once in a while but my whole being, my whole thought processes are back! As my family and friends say . . .  "Diana, you're back"!!
It was my "mustard seed faith" and the many, many other "mustard seeds" of faithful people that prayed for my healing and my recovery along the way.  This month marked 8 months since discovering the tumors and my surgery.  It has been a remarkable 8 months in so many ways.  I have exercised my "mustard seed faith" in every area of my life and I have seen what, many times, seemed to be totally impossible . . . but I have seen beyond the "impossible" to the "possible" with the help of God Almighty!  I know first hand that "nothing is impossible" with God and a little "mustard seed faith"!!

Hmmmm . . . just what would happen if we had the faith of a watermelon seek, a cucumber seed, an orange seed, an avocado seed . . . or a peach seed???!!!
 
Here are a few "mustard seed faith builders" . . .

Matthew 17:20 says, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

 
Mark 9:23 says everything is possible for him who believes.

 Mark 10:27 says that all things are possible for God.

Romans 12:3 says God gives us the measure of faith.

Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Mark 11:23-24 a prayer of faith. Now notice in verse 22 that it says "Have faith in God".


Hebrew 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God, because everyone who comes to Him
must believe.

 2 Cor. 5:7 says that we must live by faith NOT by sight. Seeing can be very deceiving. Keep your eyes on God.

1 John 5:14 says, that we can have confidence, that if we ask anything according to the Word of God then we will receive what we ask.

1 Cor. 13:2 says that faith has to be proceeded by love.

1 Thes. 5:8 says to put faith and love on as a breastplate. Faith and love go hand in hand, and protect and shield your heart.
 
Heb. 12:2 says Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.

So, take a look at your tiny mustard seed and discover the faith within you.  Exercise that faith and look at the power of God at work in your heart and life and go ahead . . . move those mountains that are standing, tall and majestic, in front of you today and remember - "NOTHING" is impossible with God!      

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Quotes to Live By . . .

Goals: “There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them!”   -Jim Rohn

“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care:  help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair:  be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream:  work.”  -William Arthur Ward

"It's never too late to live . . . Happily Ever After!" -Unknown

"An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward.  So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great!  So just focus and keep aiming!!" - Unknown

“Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.”  -Tyron Edwards

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Live today!  Not yesterday.  Not tomorrow.  Just today!!  Inhabit your moments.  Don’t rent them out to tomorrow."  -Jerry Spinelli

“Set out each day believing in your dreams. Know without a doubt that you were made for amazing things.”  -Josh Hinds

"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individuals, you have an obligation to be one."  -Eleanor Roosevelt

"You cannot raise a man up by calling him down."  -William Baeteker

 “Where hope grows, miracles blossom.”  -Elna Rae

Keep Me Together, Lord!

"Though; he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand."   (Psalm 37:24)

"Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely."  (Psalm 131:10)

"The Lord upholds all who fall, And "raises up all who are bowed down." (Psalm 145:14)

Steve Urkel played on the popular TV series, Family Matters.  My children used to watch it and Steve's "catch-phrase" was, "I've fallen and I can't get up"!!! 

Have you ever fallen and could not get up.  The older I get the falls take a greater toll on this aging body of mine. It seems to take me longer to get up!!  The other day I got up early and went out and walked my 3 miles, came back to the house, poured my cup of coffee, took a few minutes to enjoy that and then went to get ready for work.  Took my shower, got dressed and was walking at the end of my bed to get my shoes.  I tripped over my sandal which I thought was under the bed farther than it was.  Long story short . . . my feet stayed tangle up in the sandal and the rest of my body slammed forward into my half open door and then to the floor with a "thud".  I was nearly in tears and just laid there in the doorway . . . "I had fallen and couldn't (or at least didn't want to) get up"!!! My arm and shoulder was throbbing from hitting the door and resulted in a bright purple bruise bigger than my hand, both of my knees were in excruciating pain (knee replacements do that when you fall directly on the knees!!) I hurt all over and I just laid there until some of the pain subsided. Then I slowly but surely got up and stood there!! "I thanked God that He kept me together" no broken bones, I could walk, talk, breathe, and really only suffered a couple huge bruises and sore aching muscles!!

"God, Thank you for keeping me together when I'm falling apart!!"

Maybe you are not prone to falling . . . like I am . . . but you "feel" like you are "falling apart"!!  Your plans have fallen through, your bubble has burst, your dreams are fleeting, your finances are depleted, you lost your job, the "cancer" word has hit home, your friends or family have disappeared - just when you needed them! Things just are not going the way you desired.  Things seem to be falling apart - "you" seem to be falling apart.  Have you been there?  Look around today and you will see people everywhere feeling just like that! Broken, bleeding, hurting . . . falling apart!

But don't despair - God CAN and WILL keep you together when you feel like or even when you "are" falling apart!  He is ready and willing to "uphold you with His hand" (Ps. 37:24)  He is there to help you "escape safely" . . . not just escape but to "escape safely"!!  (Ps. 131:10)  Isn't that just fantastic? And get a load of this - "The Lord upholds ALL WHO FALL, and RAISES UP ALL who are bowed down." (Psalm 145:14)

What assurance and confidence we can have in a God that can and will, a God that is ready and willing to uphold us in His hand and will provide a way of escape so we can escape "safely" and will raise those of us up when we are bowed low. Trust God! 

"God, Thank you for keeping me together when I'm falling apart!!"

Beef Roast

3 Envelope Roast

Ingredients:
3 pound beef roast such as chuck roast
1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix
2 cups water

Instructions :
Put the water in a measuring cup that is larger then the amount of water you are using. Now add and mix all three envelopes of dry salad dressings to the water. Mix until blended completely.
Brown the roast (if desired). Add the meat to your cooker. Pour the water, salad dressing mixture over the roast. In the slow cooker cook it on high for about 4 hours on low about 8 hours.

Wa-la - supper is ready!! :)

Maxine Moments!

If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?

 I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use, Toothpicks?

 

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

 

 If it's true that we are here to help others,
then what exactly are the others here for?
 

Diamond Rio - In God We Still Trust

To listen to this song - Pause the music on my blog playlist.

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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding". – Proverbs 3:5

Have you ever been at a place in your life where you thought you understood what was going on around you? You knew where you were going, what was up ahead, what was around the corner . . . you just knew what was up . . . and you "understood completely"! 

Then right under that umbrella of understanding you slipped and slid totally out of control not knowing or understanding where you were headed at that moment in time.  What do you do in times like this?  Do you try to handle the situation on your own?  Do you retreat into your own little world and separate yourself from all that is out there in this world that you fear will hurt you?  Or do you "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your OWN understanding"? Proverbs 3:5 

God has us in His best interest . . . He knows the plans He has for us . . . His Word tells us this much.  He said it and we can believe it.  We don't have to lean on our own understanding we can trust in the Lord with all of our heart.

IN GOD WE STILL TRUST!

Kindness

We really do not know what other people may be experiencing whether good, bad or somewhere in between.  It may be that extra kindness shown to someone else that keeps them going and gives them the encouragement that they need at that very moment.  Always keep this quote in mind as you pass the people that you come into contact with. Be real, be genuine, be kind.

Brain Surgery to Remove Two Tumors - 12-12-12

Dec. 7, 2012,  I found out that I had to have brain surgery to remove what the MRI stated as a large, fast growing, malignant tumor embedded in my brain.   When they operated they found not one but two tumors the size of two tangerines, they were not malignant, and they were not embedded in the brain but in the lining of the brain tissue and they were fast growing so the urgency of the operation was imperative.  What an answer to all of the prayers that were going up. This was the beginning of the many, many miracles that I have experienced over the last 6 months of this journey through life with God totally in control! 

This MRI from December 7 shows the tumors one at time – there were two actually stacked on each other kind of at an angle. (Don't you just love my eyes?!!)  You can see the tumors pushing against the Optic area and other parts. It is actually hard to believe two tumors the size of two tangerines were inside by skull!!!

My 6 month check-up from my surgery was yesterday and another MRI was taken on June 13, 2013.  This was the first time I saw or I should actually say "remember" seeing either of the MRI films.  They were so interesting for me to finally see what the doctors were talking about.  The cavity where the tumors were is nearly all filled in except for the little space shown in the picture below. This should continue to fill in as time goes on.  And no sign of any new tumors!! 

Praise the Lord!  What a miracle this journey
has been!

Brain Surgery - 6 month MRI Check-up

This afternoon I returned from a doctors appointment with my brain surgeon. It has been 6 months since the two tumors were removed. Time sure does fly when you're having fun!!! LOL! The MRI showed no signs of the tumors return - I will have another MRI in December. The doctor could see a lot of improvement in my speech from 3 months ago at my last visit.  He said the whole healing process with the brain was impressive and he was very pleased with the progress I have made in these last 6 months!! YEAH!! We talked about the surgery itself and some of the things I did not remember around that period of time. It all just amazes me as I look back now and how far I have come in 6 months.  I am actually not even limiting myself in the things I am now able to do and functioning above and beyond my abilities before the tumors were discovered. At 5 months I started walking again and have even lost 12 lbs. (Yeah!)  I wake up at 5:45 am every morning ready to start my day and I can honestly say I feel better than I have felt for a couple of years!! Dr. Music said I looked great, was talking fluently, and had no real side effects from the surgery!  I told him that was because I had such a "good" surgeon and a great big wonderful God!!! 

I can truthfully say, I was given a "new lease-on-life".  God's timing was so perfect in discovering the tumors which could have been fatal at any point in time.  God knows what is best . . . though I would not have chosen 2 tumors each the size of a tangerine, had I been given the choice . . . but for some unknown reason that has become a part of my life.  It has taught me not to take life or people for granted and to live each day to the fullest that I possibly can, to experience life as it comes to me through people, places, and things that really make a difference. Life can be cut short so living it to the max each and every day is important to me!  Making each day count and catching each "Butterfly Blessing"  that God sends my way is so very important to me!  Those blessing come in the form of people, sunrises, sunsets, rippling streams, raging rivers, the warmth of the sun, the rain pitter-patting on my umbrella, the baby laughing, the flowers blooming  . . . I could go on and on. I've learned to ask questions, search and find out what is going on in people's lives and I've learned to reach out to them whenever I am able to.  I sometimes wonder if someone had reached out to me (many did, of course) but would have really pinned me down, and asked me some pointed  questions - would we have realized and found the tumors sooner?  That is a question I will never know but if I sense you are acting different . . . I WILL question you and sit down and talk to you!! LOL!!

I may never know "how" I got to the state of mind I was in before the tumors were discovered and I may never know "why" God chose to let me go through this whole experience but I do know that I am all the more ready to conquer each and every new day whatever it holds for me - whether good or bad - I am better equipped to handle the raging rivers or the quiet streams of life!   "For I know what I have planned for you, says the LORD. I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope." Jeremiah 29:11   I have always liked that Bible verse for I do  know God does have a plan for my life and I am trusting Him to lead and guide me in the days ahead. My hope is in Him and Him alone!  He never has failed me yet!!

It has been an amazing journey for me and my family and God has been there each step of the way, miracle after miracle! And you know what? God never changes - He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! And it is so exciting to know and see that He is also still in the miracle business - I have seen it first hand - I have lived through it - I am experiencing it . . . and I am expecting it!! Thank God He Never Changes!

Ride em Cowboys!

Whatever happened to those Old Westerns? 

Someone once said, "Every happy Memory Makes happiness happen again!" Here's to some of those Happy Memories!

One look at this film clip and you'll be young and old all over again. It is "brand new" even listing 2010.

Well, this clip has pictures and names -- so after 50 or so years -- say "Howdy" to some of those mini-heroes from your youth.

(Be sure to "mute" my playlist at the top of this page) now just click on the link below, sit back and enjoy . . .  

http://oldfortyfives.com/thoseoldwesterns

Laughter in Crisis

After finishing an out-of-town errand, I discovered that my car wouldn't start because it was out of gas.

A passer-by told me there was a service station a half-mile away, so I took a gas can from the trunk and trudged the distance in the sweltering sun.

The attendant filled my two-gallon can, and I lugged it back and poured the gas into the tank. But when I tried to unlock the car door, it wouldn't open. Just then, I noticed an identical old car parked a short distance away. That was my car; I had filled a stranger's gas tank.

Wearily I walked back to the station.

"You know," the attendant suggested helpfully, "instead of walking back and forth to fill the tank from the can, you could put a couple of gallons in the tank and then drive the car here."

Secret Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is so easy and yet so "yummy"!!  My kind of fix-in!! The secret in this Secret Fruit Salad is 1 dry vanilla pudding mix...so delicious! Try it . . . you will like it, I'm sure!

Power to Turn Life Around

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. 

 -Leo Buscaglia

Rosie the Riveter and Duct Tape!

We managed some rental property for a number of years.  I did a good share of the cleaning, painting and believe it or not a lot of the repairs.  I felt like Rosie the Riveter at times!!  Sometimes I just kept telling myself "I can do it"!  I learned how to repair things I never dreamed I could repair.  One of the quick fixes I used on several occasions was the use of duct tape!  What did we do before duct tape??!! It is amazing how many uses there are for duct tape.  I once used electrical tape to "repair" a pipe under a sink. It stretches around the pipe nicely and works wonders for a quick-fix!  My dad was a plumber by trade.  I had him later come up to one of the apartments and do some work for me.  He opened the cupboard and said, "Diana, WHAT is THIS"?  One look at the black electrical tape and I got the "Diana, you know better than that look" . . . but it held up - it wasn't leaking!!!  LOL!  

I recently went out to my folks home and while doing dishes after dinner I noticed water on the floor.  Mom said she thought it was coming from the dish drainer. I could see that that wasn't where it was coming from.  I looked under the kitchen sink and guess what I found? Yes, I found where the water was coming from . . . it was dripping from a pipe that had soggy "black electrical tape" on it!!!!!  Imagine that - pretty amazing don't you think??!!!  The tape looked like it had been wrapped around there for quite a while and was beginning to loosen and fall off. I immediately asked mom where her "plumber" was!!  After the bad time Dad gave me over my "taped pipe fix", I was tempted to give him a bad time also.  I must have learned that trick from him!!!  At least that is what I told him . . . I had the proof!!!

I was thinking about the many problems that we may experience in this life.  It has been said that everyone has either just experienced a problem, is in the middle of a problem right now or getting ready to deal with a problem in the near future.  Everybody has one problem or another!  It may be sickness, death, financial, family problems, marital, job related problems - so many things bombard us every day.  Problems we may, like Rosie the  Riveter would say, "We Can Do It"!  Some things we really can do it - we can fix them - like I fixed the leaking pipe. I did do it - it quit leaking!  (Yeah!)  No more leaks - at least . . . for a while!  I'm afraid my tape "fix-it" would over time look just like my dad's tape fix-it for his pipe.  With time, the quick tape fix proved not to be a true fix - it only lasts for a time. It was only a "temporary fix".  

Jesus is the answer for whatever problem you and I may be going through.  He knows all about it. He has the answers to the problems we are facing. He is there to help us through them, to encourage us through His Word and His Way. He is willing and ready to meet us where we are right now - today!  He fixes broken people . . . and He never uses Duct Tape or Electrical Tape!!!  His fixes are for real. They are for real problems. They are for real people. They are for you and I today.  Trust your past, present, and future to the God who knows, cares, and loves you. 

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."  I Peter 5:6-7

Attitude is Everything Movie

Attitude is Everything Movie 
(Mute the blog playlist then - Double Click on this Movie title for some inspiration!)

Here is a video to get you thinking straight - especially when we get so run down, out of sorts, and just plan tired.  When we forget the things that we need to remember.

Memorial Day 2013 - Everyday!

It has been said that only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you . . . Jesus Christ and the American Soldier . . .  one died for your "soul" and the other died for your "freedom".

There is a lot of truth in that. Truly, "greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13) But do we really know that kind of love, do we experience it in our friends and acquaintances, in our own lives, and in the God we serve.  That love that goes above and beyond the call of duty even unto the call of death?  Would we go there, do that, be the one that loves beyond love itself?  Are we passionate about that kind of love - that self-less kind of love that cares about others more than our own being.  The solders that have sacrificed for the cause of "freedom" feeling a greater passion and cause. . . even when self-sacrifice may be the end result. Thank you - we honor each of you and also your families that paid the price for the freedom we so often take for granted.  Help us remember the life you gave for us . . . for me!

Again, "greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Jesus Christ was the ultimate "sacrifice" for the sins of the whole world. He died for each of us - for your sins - for my sins - for the wrong things in my life.  And He gave His all - everything He had when He suffered and died on the cross.  Everything so that I could experience a different kind of freedom - a freedom from the chains of sin, guilt, and destruction.  A freedom of love, grace, and mercy.  A love that goes far beyond our understanding and reaches deep into our hearts and lives changes us and makes us like new creatures. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)It is then we are able to understand the kind of love that would lay down ones life for another.  The kind of love that has a passion behind us pushing us forward to that same freedom of country in the sacrifice of men and women willing to fight for that freedom and most importantly - freedom from sin redeemed by the sacrifice God made when he offered His Son, Jesus Christ to save the world!

50 Things Money Can't Buy

 
So you see, money isn't everything! There is a lot more to life than the "all mighty dollar".  As much as we may think that we need it or want it . . .  remember that our "real "treasures" in life simply cannot be bought - they are "lived" out each and every day! Live with meaning and purpose in life.

Maxine

I thought this cartoon was very fitting for me since I decorate ice cream cakes at the Dairy Queen part-time!!!  And we did have a little "mini-blizzard" last week and it was "MAY"!!!

Don't Let Me Miss the Glory . . .

I just recently ran across this song and fell in love with it. I guess it is because I can relate to it so well. 

 "Don't Let Me Miss the Glory" https://youtu.be/o0-0vlHB5gQ

In light of discovering I had two brain tumors last December, I am realizing every week that I have "missed" a lot of things this last year and half! Things in my own life, my families lives and life in general. This realization comes to me as I talk with my family and friends.  They will mention things that I have no recollection of hearing or being a part of or if it sounds somewhat familiar - it is sometimes very vague and distant to me.  The kids will say, "mom, you probably don't remember this but ..." and they then begin to expound on the event, person, place, things involved in that particular situation.  It is so mind-boggling to come to this realization that for the past year and half, I have actually "missed" out on so many things and I didn't even realize it. It would appear that the two brain tumors were actually squeezing the "living-life" right out of me or I should say "right out of my thoughts and brain"! Each of the two tumors was the size of a tangerine.  When I think about two tangerines inside my brain cavity pressing and compressing my brain - I guess it is no wonder that some things were squeezed out of my memory and I "missed" out on a few things! 

As I listen to this song, "Don't Let Me Miss the Glory", I'm reminded of the day-to-day "glory" that God gives us. The blessings both big and small for us to enjoy and make our days "joy-filled" and "God-focused".  Are you looking at life through the eyes of God?  Are you seeing the grandeur of His design or are you "missing the glory"?  To look through His eyes is to see the glory of God's ultimate creation!

Lord, I pray that you would open our eyes so that we do not go through life "missing" the blessings of life, the real purpose of life, the ultimate gift of life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. I would like to challenge you to look at each segment of life whether it is a sunrise, a bird singing, a baby crying, a hurting heart, a brain tumor, or a tragic encounter as a part of the "glory" God sends our way ... the good, the bad, the heartfelt, the tenderness ... all in the many forms of His ultimate blessings and glory. The whole earth is vibrant with every aspect of God's creation. It is alive with His blessings and most of all His presence.  "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart ."  (Jeremiah 29:13 - ESV) Seek Him and His Glory . . . . He is right there with you in the cool of the day, when the rooster crows, when your hope may be faltering - look to Him - "Don't Miss His Glory" wherever He takes you and in whatever your situation is. Take hold of His glory and "don't miss it!"  

My hope and prayer is that you and I experience every part of His creation and that we "Don't Miss The Glory . . . any of His Glory"!  But that we experience God's glory to the fullest extent that God Himself intended for each of us.

"Don't let me miss the Glory - Don't let me miss the Grace - Don't let me miss the wonder - Don't let me miss the grand design! Lord open up my eyes - Don't let me miss the Glory!"

Able to do . . .

Able.

Able to do.

Able to do what we ask.

Able to do what we think.

Able to do what we ask or think.

Able to do all that we ask or think.

Able to do above all that we ask or think.

Able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.

What do you need from God today? Go ahead and tell Him. He’s more than able.

                                                                       (Micca Campbell)

"Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph 3:20)

Don't you just love this? What an encouragement this is if we can only grasp the full extent of God and His power in us!

Brain Surgery - 4 Months Ago!

April 12th marked 4 months since my brain surgery removing the tumors! Yippee!! Originally the doctors & speech therapist said I probably wouldn't be back to work full time for about 6 months. 4 months and I am back working full time once again! I'm still going to speech therapy but doing great!! I ran into a lady last week in Omaha & she said I looked familiar & she sorta did to me also. Then she asked if I had been in Mercy Hospital recently, I said, yes I had brain surgery. Before I finished saying brain surgery she squeeled with excitment. You would have thought we were long lost friends. She was the nurse when I came into the hospital & was there when I went down for surgery the 1st time. She hugged me & was so excited to see me - said she had wondered how I was doing many times since December & said she didn't know if I was going to make it through that. She too, was amazed to see me out & about doing so well. We were both so excited by our "little" reunion. It made my day!! I am still working on some of my words that seem to be blocked from my vacabulary - I comprehend the words but just can't seem to communicate some of them! But this is also improving beyond what the speech therapist had expected. The doctors and Speech Therapist are "amazed" at the progress . . . I'm not . . . I know it is nothing less than a "God-thing"!!!  God is so good - miracle after miracle!  Thanks to everyone who has been so patient, understanding, & supportive of me during this life-changing experience for me - family, friends, pastors, church members, doctors, nurses, FB friends - the list goes on and on. You ALL deserve a "star" in your crown!! Thanks so much!

Words to Live By . . .

Someone has written these beautiful words.  Read them and try to understand their deep meaning.  They are like the ten commandments to follow all through your life.     1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.   2] Why is a car's windshield so large and the rear view mirror is so small?  Because our past is not as important as our future. So, look ahead and move on.   3] Friendship is like a book.  It takes a few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.   4] All things in life are temporary.   If going well, enjoy it; they will not last forever.  If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.   5] Old friends are gold!  New friends are diamonds!  If you get a diamond, don't forget the gold  because to hold a diamond, you always need a base of gold!   6] Often, when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!   7] When God solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when God doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.   8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing your eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"   9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them.  Sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.   10] Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles; it takes away today's peace.