Scans are showing no tumor as they took out 85% on November 16, 2017, and believe the radiation and chemo has killed the leftover fingers. The scan on the right is a baseline for all scans going forward. We are seldom told we are in remission as it can come back in the future so prayers requested that it is totally gone for good and never rears its ugly self again. Very thankful for all the prayers, God’s Mighty hands on me, as well as the care of my doctors and nurses at Barrows Neurological Institute. They are top notch!
Today was a good day as the second MRI was evaluated and the Dr. is very happy. The MRI on the left was the original and the MRI on the right is from this week. no new growth and the white cloud, on the right MRI, could be residual left from radiation or surgical trauma. Dr. P is very happy though and said many years still to come. I will go back for my third MRI In September for this year. SO, in regards to today’s MRI, Dr. P said: “look now there is no tumor and that is good”. I went from the massive tumor below to the ones shown above; no tumor at all. Thank you so much for all of your constant prayers. I begin treatment #5 on July 2-6 in Texas, Daniel and Ben are going to Brazil so I can’t be by myself and am fortunate to be able to go to Tx and hang with family and friends there. I am very excited to see some of you while I am there but will be back and forth between Bedford and Belton with my brother’s kids as mom and dad are helping with them some this summer. I am just happy to see my family and many of you who have prayed for me and my family sent us gift cards, hats, fun cards and so much more during this time. As always, God is faithful and has guided each step and today marks a great day of seeing our prayers answered. Please keep praying it does not come back ever.
A few weeks ago I was driving home, from the gym, and Matthew West’s song “Day ONE” and I laughed as I kept saying to God, “I can start day one when chemo is over in August” and God chuckled, In my head, with a remark back to me “NOPE!” You can start now for I have already given you a new day today, tomorrow and every day” My New life starts every morning so, why is it we, man, find it easier to set t his goal of, On this certian day, after this certain experiance or goal is done, THEN I can start new? Why do we not jump out of bed, as the sun rises and believe it is Day One of the best of our lives? instead, we fall out of bed with a “great, sarcasm sound, and shuffle our way into the day as if a car is going to come to knock us out? We have a new day every day so now, go forward in the confidence that GOd has you and has something big for you today!!! HE HAS YOU and so you have today. GO TO IT and ENJOY!!!!
YOU ARE WONDERFUL, YOU ARE ADORED, CREATED FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, MADE IN GOD’S PERFECT IMAGE, BEAUTIFUL/HANDSOME, YOU ARE VALUED MORE THAN GOLD OR DIAMONDS
YOU ARE LOVED AND GOD HAS AN AMAZING PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE so let it begin today. I am choosing to live in joy, hope and with God leading the way. Can’t go wrong with that plan. Link arms with me and let’s go live life today in the fullest God gives to us. I am reading in Acts 3 right now as God covers the disciples in the Holy Spirit and they start out sharing the gospel and impacting the Kingdom of God as lives are introduced to Christ and come to know Him. Let’s go make an impact and help people find life in Christ. Let’s be bright shining lights in a very dark world. We all have different gifts and God wants to use them as that is why He gave them to you. Seek Him and let Him show you how you are to use that gift according to His purpose.
How are you impacting the kingdom of God locally in your community and local church and how are you spreading the gospel elsewhere? Let’s start out Day ONe today. No more waiting for the perfect house, man, child, job, car, education, as it is never perfect and never will be. Nothing or no one is perfect but God alone. Believe that and live in this truth and let God lead the way for an amazing life.
I wanted to update many of you who have been praying for additional prayer requests that I keep listing on prayer posts. I have updated on two of them.
Jean Lakey – a dear friend and mentor was opened up to have part of her left lung removed that contained cancer. They feared she had more cancer in the lymph nodes between her ribs. She had staff in place to check as they began going between each rib to see if the nodes held cancer and they did not so post surgery she was good to go home once her body is stable enough. The answer to pray was that no more cancer existed in her body and they got it all out.
Shannon Lude – this was the very sweet woman who was in the St. Joseph’s emergency room with me and was a great encouragement to Daniel and I as she had already gone through a craniotomy and had some supplements we believe have helped me on this journey through chemo/radiation with fewer side effects. SHe messaged me today the following ” just saw my oncologist and got the results of my June 7 MRI. Doc says it’s all clear!
They’re keeping me in treatment. I imagine they want to see a couple more clear scans before declaring me in remission and stopping treatment.
NOTE: SHe had a GBM which is much more severe than mine and this is great news. THese can grow back quickly. Please keep her in your prayers for full healing and that it does not come back again. Please pray for the additional treatment to have limited side effects so she can stay strong for her family and all scans continue to stay clear. Keep praying for financial provision and peace for herself and her family.
3. All your prayers for my health and sleep are being answered as I slept last night until 5:00 am; the usual wake up times are 2:00 am, 4:00 am and 6:00 so the few extra hours are amazing!!!! Every prayer matters from the big miracles, like the ones above to my little ones of comfort and peace. My back is getting better and I am able to function with basic daily chores and help out as much as possible. You have prayed for minimum side effects over me and I have had very limited side effects and believe it is due to the prayers being lifted. Please continue to pray for the next treatment first week of July. these are the closest weeks together since we started and I have fewer weeks of recovery in between. Please keep praying for insurance to approve all needs as we hit some more bumps in the road but know God has it and trusting Him.
Thank you all and know your prayers are very important and appreciated. Also, I know it points you, me and others to God and honors His Name. Please continue praying and lifting up one another before the throne of God. He loves to hear His children’s voices.
One of the things Daniel and I have heard from people is how much our honesty and openness has been appreciated. So today, I will share where I am at, I am very irritable, extremely tired and on edge (everything seemed ike fighting words to me no matter who spoke them) in my responses, actions, and mindset. But, God did not let me stay here very long. A mentor of Daniel and I’s told me that God has me on a short leash and does not let me get far. How very true this statement is for He pulled me in quickly today and would not let me reply or go the direction I really wanted to go with a few people today. No friends, but just random things. He would take me back to the fruits of the Spirit and how much more time I am in need with Him right now. Armoring up more and more each day instead of laying around moping because I can’t do all I WANT TO DO. It’s amazing how gracious He is even in these moments of my pure Stubbornness, Tackiness, Ungratefulness, selfishness,and more. I am so very thankful for my Patient, Loving, IMMANUEL (means God with us).
Please understand, I know God has me and will not forsake me ever. I believe this to the bottom of my heart and with ALL my heart. Now that being said, satan knows my greatest weakness is tiredness. SO with no sleep last night, he has tried to have a hay day with me today. I still went ahead and drove to the gym to do a little elliptical exercise so as not to spend one more day just sitting around getting down. The routine of going to the gym or writing somewhere from either the library or Starbucks helps too. The only problem is this past week was a tough one for the family (sickness, stress from misc circumstances) as a whole and caused extreme weariness in me. due to my back lumbar 4 issue for the last 2 weeks my energy has dropped as I could not work out, barely slept for waking up in pain each night multiple times and wanting to blame somebody so I could feel better but no one was to blame. .It’s called life and it keeps happening and how I respond is important. It was not pretty some of the days but this morning I was reading a devotional out of Hebrews 10:33 and I read on through verse 36-39 spoke to me
36″For you have NEED OF ENDURANCE so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (great message and warning for me today of what lies ahead and the requirement of my need for Jesus’ strength, support, and power) He is the source of my endurance!
37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will, NOT DELAY.
38 BUT MY righteous one shall LIVE BY FAITH,; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.
39. BUT we ARE NOT those who shrink back to destruction (loss), but of those WHO HAVE FAITH to the preserving of the soul (breath).”
I am to persevere with endurance as Paul tells us in Philippians Chapter 3, starting in verse 12-16
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, BUT I press on (persevere)so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on (Persevere) toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.15Let us, therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
NOTE: i have not been crucified, even mocked, hurt physically at all but Satan will still try to drain me, knock me down with weariness, failures, negative thoughts, fear of the future and what it holds and of course it is always worse when I am tired, as today. When I was the women’s minister at our church, usually right before an event I would be tired and recognized how Satan worked but also how God used it as a time to talk with me and reveal more to me, as I was in a great listening place for I had no strength of my own to talk back, only listen and I feel that is where I am again. (Not a bad place to be at all).
SO, this is me being very open and real understanding I am to persevere and I WILL lean on Jesus’s arms the whole way while linking arms with all of you through prayer, encouragement, and trust in GOD alone. This all stinks and is no fun at all!
Today, before God alone and all of you, I am choosing to live by faith regardless of how tired, weary, broken down, frustrated and lost I may feel. I recognize I am not alone and never will be from God nor my Christian family. I choose to believe His word no matter how my circumstances, emotions or cultural trends try to sway me.
1.I am asking for prayers for massive rest these next two weeks before Daniel and I go to Hawaii. He wants to do something fun and I am praying for energy, joy and physical healing (no longer have the painful back issue keeping me up at nights so I can sleep soundly.)
2. Satan keeps reminding me the doctors words of how the tumor can reoccur and come back worse next time throughout my life. ENDURANCE IS NEEDED! Please pray for 100% full healing and that it never comes back.
3. Please pray for my family to remain healthy, strong and wise along with giving lots of grace to one another each day. Safe travels to camp, to Hawaii, to TX and back. Blessed time with family and friends and lastly
4. Please pray for strength for me as this past treatment and the next are very close together and I am not sure how my body will handle the treatment. For my White Blood Cell counts stay on track along with my platelets so I can celebrate my girls, mom, and nephews birthdays together with energy instead of laid up in bed.
I believe every prayer matters to God no matter how big or small they are. So I bring these before you and ask you to join me in lifting all concerns before the Lord together.
Spotify has won me over as I enjoy how upon a playlist ending, they continue with songs of similar classification – style, genre, rhythm and this one popped up on my list as I was walking the other day. I am thankful as I don’t always sit and search for new music these days, as I did when I was younger, I heard the song above about Sleeping (PEace, REsting through the Storm. The recognition that Jesus is our calm and rest, He is our patience and peace through whatever storm we are called into. We are called to have peace, but recognize, peace only comes from FULL dependence on God.
Let us continue on the theme Perseverance. Today, we are going to talk about how we are to persevere purposefully in peace. Now, this seems hard to grasp as the human mind runs to panic, fear, doubt, lack of understanding first, before running to God and resting in HIS promises. We have this strong desire to control, fix and try to make it better before going to the One who already knows the outcome and what we really need. Yet, we are so stubborn, we think we can figure out or run to look up the answer on google which actually causes us to freak out and become more fearful ( I hurt my back 2 weeks ago and as I was trying to figure what I did to cause the pain so as not to do it again; I kept asking the chiropractor what I could have done or what can I do now to get this over with faster, as if it was going to change the outcome in that moment, Really, I need to shut up and just listen to him diagnosis as he evaluated my back and shared excercises and instructions of how I needed to proceed in the coming weeks.) How often do we try to figure out how to fix our “issues” before going to scripture, where much instruction fills the pages and understanding what direction God has already given us through His Word. After reading all the symptoms the internet says we have or we decide we have all the so-called symptoms so this must be my problem and this must be the way to solve it, ALL the anxiety rises creating panic BEFORE WE CHASE AFTER GOD and Seek out His wisdom/guidance first. We are going to continue breaking down Philippians 4:6-7 to help us understand what this looks like. “ (6)Be Anxious FOR NOTHING (By the way, this is a command not a suggestion), but in EVERYTHING, BY prayer and supplication (constant prayer before God – SLOW DOWN and LISTEN! ) WITH thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (7)AND the peace of God , which SURPASSES ALL comprehension (understanding, reason, mind) WILL (promise) Guard (Keep) your hearts and minds IN (attuned to)Christ Jesus.” 1. Bluntly, based on this verse, YOUR heart AND MIND must be IN CHRIST JESUS! 1. FIRST, YOU MUST have a relationship with Him (Phil 4:7), Romans 10:9″IF you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, AND believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you WILL (promise) be saved.” 2. SECONDLY, Verse 6 and 7 work together. First commanding us with the instruction “Be anxious for NOTHING, Paul, by the Holy Spirits inspiration, commands us, we are NOT to be anxious for anything or by anything. We are not to let things (tragedies, diagnosis, I am using my own diagnosis of brain cancer as an example, or ANYTHING, of this world create anxiety in us. We are to keep our eyes and voices lifted to God above “BUT in EVERYTHING, by prayer AND supplication WITH thanksgiving (not just thanksgiving if it turns out ok, but even for the trial and throughout the trial or hardships that WILL come our way). We MUST let our requests (doubts, fears, anxieties, worries, insecurities) be made known to God, THEN and only then WILL the peace of GOD guard our hearts and minds followed by and it will surpass any comprehension this world or any Person could ever give us. Things, People, attention, Approval (sometimes we try hard to get other people’s approval and praise before we go before God). Understand, The devil wants your mind and heart and so every day a battle rages for them both! As I began working out at the gym in February, I had to use lower weights as my upper body is very weak, I noticed I wanted to shout to people, “I have brain cancer and am working to get stronger!” As if anyone really needs to know. Actually, it is my excuse to want to share so people can give me praise for doing so well and just being there. GUESS WHAT? Every time the thought comes, God takes me to this verse and says to me, “MINDY, you do not need man’s praises for I am with you! and I have brought you this far! Nothing you do deserves praise, and in that moment I have begun to turn my thoughts back to praising Him with thanksgivings for being there and quit craving to be noticed or praised myself. I Do believe this is a battle in the world today. Look at all the opinions, we post, and want applause or praise for all we can do or doing, We want the titles the applause all the while we forget to go before God just thanking Him for the abilities, time and gifts He has already given us. I believe praise is engrained in us since birth as we are cheered when we walk, finish all the food on our plate, when we start to talk, when we learn how to read or write; each step in life we are applauded and so it takes over and almost becomes an expected response as we move out into the world on our own only to find it does not happen. Really, as Christians, we should just be seeking to know Christ and let Him be the One we seek with all of our heart and mind. A lawyer asked Jesus what law is the most important and Jesus’ response was Matthew 22:37 “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” First, we have to seek God with our WHOLE self. He will not disappoint you if you are purposefully seeking Him as He WILL provide a peace that surpasses any kind of human reason. 3. Receiving this peace also requires that we bring EVERYTHING! Why do I bring everything before God? He already knows per Psalm 139:1-4 “I Know when you sit down and when I rise up, You know, understand my thoughts from afar. You scrutinize my path and may lying down and are intimately acquainted with ALL my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, ” but EVERYTHING (not just cancer, or what we consider big things, but thoughts in our minds – as these can lead to opening doors for doubt, fear and looking away from God if we do not go to Him first. The little the things matter to God!! All of our struggles, disappointments, frustrations, hurts, our kids futures, our days, decisions, what furniture we should purchase. I remember my mom and I praying over the prom dress I was supposed to purchase as we had a very limited budget and we wanted to be wise with time and money- God provided both for us that day as we found the dress quickly and at a good price. Our hearts desire should be to know God first and foremost and then to make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19-20; “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe ALL that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you ALWAYS, even unto the END OF THE AGE.” 4. So, how do we combat this battle everyday? Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you WILL BE ABLE to STAND FIRM against the schemes of the devil.” 1. To Stand Firm, we have to be armored up with God’s armor (Ephesians 6) as God’s divine peace can only last so long, before we start looking to ourselves, if we are not constantly before Him. During this battle with cancer, my favorite moments are when I am praying for others b/c my heart/mind are lifted to God; my eyes are lifted upwards to Him and not on my illness or earthly struggles. A friend, yesterday, shared how praying for others helps us keep perspective. Guess what? It could be worse, I could have my whole left side paralyzed. I could end up not remembering how to talk, so many more things. I don’t let my mind go there as I pray for others who are battling cancer, disease, injuries beyond my understanding or the loss of a loved one due to a drunk driver, or at the hands of another’s bad choice. My cancer stinks, don’t get me wrong, but I have so much still ahead to do as God did not bring me home so He has more for me here and I just want to be alert and on guard, ready for that moment or decision that may bring a life to Him. We are to be before God constantly for our own lives and those around us! It really does make a big difference. We have to be purposeful in our grasping and living in peace daily: Peace is wonderful but can also make us complacent and lazy in our prayer/searching out God daily. We assume God has released us to live out our day forgetting He IS our source of strength, peace, hope, joy, no matter what mode our lives are living out currently. McClaren Expositions explains that during peace, God is not silent or still! He is on the forefront fighting the evil one, who is trying to mess up our minds and hearts. WE are in a minute by minute battle and we cannot release our grasp on prayer before God. Our minds and hearts must be towards Him continually!. Philippians 4:6-7 the next comment made by McClaren was spot on as I journey this road in life. Very deep and very hard to live out apart from GOD, ALMIGHTY!!!!So note, however profound and real that Divine peace is, it is to be enjoyed IN THE MIDST of warfare. Quiet is not quiescence (inactivity). God’s peace is not torpor (inactive, dormant, or apathetic). The man that has it HAS STILL to wage continual conflict, and day by day to brace himself anew for the fight. Peace does not mean rest, it means pray harder!!! God knows what you need so even if there are no words to say, He knows our groans and cries! Just let them lift to God as HE IS NOT inactive during peaceful times! God is not dormant or apathetic. In the last week, I messed up my back and have had to slow down, more than I desire, no running, lifting, etc and got extremely impatient and God alerted me to just keep praying an lifting up my family, friends as more is to come and I need to be armored up. God is moving in our midst and the devil is not happy so many are under attack, God is fighting ahead of us, but if we are not preparing and staying near to Him through His word, prayer and fellowship, we have a great chance of letting satan trip us up with the little thought of feeling worthless, useless or IF anything He is still fighting hard for us on His behalf (He could be preparing us for the next step we are to take, working on other people who will be involved or bringing someone else along to help you or I in the calling that lies ahead). Right now I have a friend who is starting to walk the cancer road and this heart shared with me how God had used my journey to prepare this heart for the journey they are now on. Whoever thought this is how God would use one another but we are called to persevere and to have someone as godly as this person telling me this made me break down and cry for we are never battling alone first, because God is on our side, second, because as sisters/brothers in Christ, we have each other and God does bring us into each other lives to encourage, share and point one another to Christ whether we are brought home through our trial, left on earth for more work to be done, or carried through the trial without massive loss. It is all-different and God uses it to His glory, but to persevere and hear “WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.” We must be IN a relationship with God and BEFORE God every day. 2. NEXT, based on Ephesians 6:14 “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, SO THAT you WILL BE ABLE to RESIST in the evil day, and having done EVERYTHING to STAND FIRM.” When I read the words HAVING DONE EVERYTHING, I have a check list consisting of 1. Read God’s words of Truth today 2. Prayer for my family, friends and pray Ephesians 6 over me and my family. 3. Meditated on God’s word: sat with Him and just listened to His teaching for me and understanding of scripture – this does include fellowship with others at times of wise counsel and to just discuss and listen. 4. Try to have at least one God discussion each day somehow with someone. People keep asking me how I keep positive, walking strong? Only is this possible by taking God at His Word! When He says He will give me peace instead of being anxious when I bring all before Him with thanksgivings and supplications as Philippians 4:6-7 shares, I believe Him and trust Him. God takes this very seriously and knows our hearts, if we are sincere or not, when we pray. James 4:2-3 tells us, “Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss (wrongly, wrong motives, inappropriate motives). When you pray, be aware of your motives, is it for God to receive the glory or for you to receive the glory?. God is not just a “Fix It”person, He wants to answer your prayers as we align our prayers with His will. Then, we grow closer to Him understanding the unimagineable peace, joy, love he promises us if we seek Him. Father, God Almighty, King of kings, Healer, Creator and Designer of our Days, many people are suffering from disease, loss, illness, change and You are fully aware of every detail. it is very easy for us to have our thoughts get stuck on the waves coming from the storm instead of resting in Your promises of hope, joy, and peace. It is easy to get caught up in the anxiety and forget Your peace is one prayer or cry away. Today, as the song sings “Let the Thunder be my comfort, let the lightening be my guide, let the waves that rise around me hold me gently through the night for the winds that seem against me push me right into Your arms, Teach me how to sleep in the storm.” Father, be each persons peace each step of the journey along with the family walking on the journey too. God, remind Your people You are IN control and not the evil one running around frantic in this world.
If we ran to God’s word first and spoke with Him about all of our worries, fears, frustrations, disappointments, do you think our lives would be different? Let’s open up our communication with God as individuals and as church bodies and let the Peace of God flow through our churches and watch as He draws people in with this living example. Join me in persevering purposefully with peace, Let us start by lifting ALL up before God daily with thanksgivings and may you come to understand the most amazing, unimaginable peace ever!
Blessings and can’t wait to hear what God did in your life and through you!!!
armslinkingarms 