Friday was not the day I planned!! I’ve had pain in the back of my leg since last week, and developed a rash the past few days. My oncologist’s office had me go to the ER to make sure that I didn’t have a blood clot.
The good news? No blood clot!! 🙌
The not-as-good news? I have shingles. 😕 The pain is very tolerable, so that is a huge blessing.
Since this is the third infection/virus I’ve had in the past several weeks, the doctor wants to stop the chemo med to let my immune system have a brief break, and may go to a lower dose when I start taking it again. A little scary, because the medicine is working well to fight cancer and it makes me nervous to stop taking it.
Even though it wasn’t the day I planned, I am finding it easier to roll with the changes. To be resilient. To not be frustrated, but to trust that God is in control and is surprised by none of this. 🙂 Good things can come in seasons of rest!!
“My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.... The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” Psalm 121:2-5, 8 NLT
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 NIV
Monday, December 2, 2019
February 1, 2019 - "You Never Marry the Right Person"
A great article looking at marriage - our perspective versus God’s. This is a must-read for anyone who is happily married, struggling in marriage, or contemplating marriage!
You Never Marry the Right Person
How our culture misunderstands compatibility.
In generations past, there was far less talk about “compatibility” and finding the ideal soul-mate. Today we are looking for someone who accepts us as we are and fulfills our desires, and this creates an unrealistic set of expectations that frustrates both the searchers and the searched for.
In John Tierney’s classic humor article “Picky, Picky, Picky” he tries nobly to get us to laugh at the impossible situation our culture has put us in. He recounts many of the reasons his single friends told him they had given up on their recent relationships: “She mispronounced ‘Goethe.’”
“How could I take him seriously after seeing The Road Less Traveled on his bookshelf?”
“If she would just lose seven pounds.”
“Sure, he’s a partner, but it’s not a big firm. And he wears those short black socks.”
“Well, it started out great … beautiful face, great body, nice smile. Everything was going fine—until she turned around.” He paused ominously and shook his head. ”… She had dirty elbows.”
In other words, some people in our culture want too much out of a marriage partner. They do not see marriage as two flawed people coming together to create a space of stability, love and consolation, a “haven in a heartless world,” as Christopher Lasch describes it. Rather, they are looking for someone who will accept them as they are, complement their abilities and fulfill their sexual and emotional desires. This will indeed require a woman who is “a novelist/astronaut with a background in fashion modeling,” and the equivalent in a man. A marriage based not on self-denial but on self-fulfillment will require a low- or no-maintenance partner who meets your needs while making almost no claims on you. Simply put—today people are asking far too much in the marriage partner.
YOU NEVER MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON
The Bible explains why the quest for compatibility seems to be so impossible. As a pastor I have spoken to thousands of couples, some working on marriage-seeking, some working on marriage-sustaining and some working on marriage-saving. I’ve heard them say over and over, “Love shouldn’t be this hard, it should come naturally.”
In response I always say something like: “Why believe that? Would someone who wants to play professional baseball say, ‘It shouldn’t be so hard to hit a fastball’? Would someone who wants to write the greatest American novel of her generation say, ‘It shouldn’t be hard to create believable characters and compelling narrative’?”
The understandable retort is: “But this is not baseball or literature. This is love. Love should just come naturally if two people are compatible, if they are truly soul-mates. “
The Christian answer to this is that no two people are compatible. Duke University Ethics professor Stanley Hauerwas has famously made this point:
Destructive to marriage is the self-fulfillment ethic that assumes marriage and the family are primarily institutions of personal fulfillment, necessary for us to become “whole” and happy. The assumption is that there is someone just right for us to marry and that if we look closely enough we will find the right person. This moral assumption overlooks a crucial aspect to marriage. It fails to appreciate the fact that we always marry the wrong person.
We never know whom we marry; we just think we do. Or even if we first marry the right person, just give it a while and he or she will change. For marriage, being [the enormous thing it is] means we are not the same person after we have entered it. The primary challenge of marriage is learning how to love and care for the stranger to whom you find yourself married.
Hauerwas gives us the first reason that no two people are compatible for marriage, namely, that marriage profoundly changes us. But there is another reason. Any two people who enter into marriage are spiritually broken by sin, which among other things means to be self-centered—living life incurvatus in se. As author Denis de Rougemont said, “Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels when they fall in love … ?” That is why a good marriage is more painfully hard to achieve than athletic or artistic prowess.
Raw, natural talent does not enable you to play baseball as a pro or write great literature without enduring discipline and enormous work. Why would it be easy to live lovingly and well with another human being in light of what is profoundly wrong within our human nature? Indeed, many people who have mastered athletics and art have failed miserably at marriage. So the biblical doctrine of sin explains why marriage— more than anything else that is good and important in this fallen world—is so painful and hard.
NO FALSE CHOICES
The reason that marriage is so painful and yet wonderful is because it is a reflection of the Gospel, which is painful and wonderful at once. The Gospel is—we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to believe, and at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us.
Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God’s saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God’s mercy and grace.
The hard times of marriage drive us to experience more of this transforming love of God. But a good marriage will also be a place where we experience more of this kind of transforming love at a human level.
This article is excerpt from THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE © 2011 by Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller. Published by Dutton, A Member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Excerpted with permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved. It originally ran on RELEVANTmagazine.com in 2012.
You Never Marry the Right Person
How our culture misunderstands compatibility.
In generations past, there was far less talk about “compatibility” and finding the ideal soul-mate. Today we are looking for someone who accepts us as we are and fulfills our desires, and this creates an unrealistic set of expectations that frustrates both the searchers and the searched for.
In John Tierney’s classic humor article “Picky, Picky, Picky” he tries nobly to get us to laugh at the impossible situation our culture has put us in. He recounts many of the reasons his single friends told him they had given up on their recent relationships: “She mispronounced ‘Goethe.’”
“How could I take him seriously after seeing The Road Less Traveled on his bookshelf?”
“If she would just lose seven pounds.”
“Sure, he’s a partner, but it’s not a big firm. And he wears those short black socks.”
“Well, it started out great … beautiful face, great body, nice smile. Everything was going fine—until she turned around.” He paused ominously and shook his head. ”… She had dirty elbows.”
In other words, some people in our culture want too much out of a marriage partner. They do not see marriage as two flawed people coming together to create a space of stability, love and consolation, a “haven in a heartless world,” as Christopher Lasch describes it. Rather, they are looking for someone who will accept them as they are, complement their abilities and fulfill their sexual and emotional desires. This will indeed require a woman who is “a novelist/astronaut with a background in fashion modeling,” and the equivalent in a man. A marriage based not on self-denial but on self-fulfillment will require a low- or no-maintenance partner who meets your needs while making almost no claims on you. Simply put—today people are asking far too much in the marriage partner.
YOU NEVER MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON
The Bible explains why the quest for compatibility seems to be so impossible. As a pastor I have spoken to thousands of couples, some working on marriage-seeking, some working on marriage-sustaining and some working on marriage-saving. I’ve heard them say over and over, “Love shouldn’t be this hard, it should come naturally.”
In response I always say something like: “Why believe that? Would someone who wants to play professional baseball say, ‘It shouldn’t be so hard to hit a fastball’? Would someone who wants to write the greatest American novel of her generation say, ‘It shouldn’t be hard to create believable characters and compelling narrative’?”
The understandable retort is: “But this is not baseball or literature. This is love. Love should just come naturally if two people are compatible, if they are truly soul-mates. “
The Christian answer to this is that no two people are compatible. Duke University Ethics professor Stanley Hauerwas has famously made this point:
Destructive to marriage is the self-fulfillment ethic that assumes marriage and the family are primarily institutions of personal fulfillment, necessary for us to become “whole” and happy. The assumption is that there is someone just right for us to marry and that if we look closely enough we will find the right person. This moral assumption overlooks a crucial aspect to marriage. It fails to appreciate the fact that we always marry the wrong person.
We never know whom we marry; we just think we do. Or even if we first marry the right person, just give it a while and he or she will change. For marriage, being [the enormous thing it is] means we are not the same person after we have entered it. The primary challenge of marriage is learning how to love and care for the stranger to whom you find yourself married.
Hauerwas gives us the first reason that no two people are compatible for marriage, namely, that marriage profoundly changes us. But there is another reason. Any two people who enter into marriage are spiritually broken by sin, which among other things means to be self-centered—living life incurvatus in se. As author Denis de Rougemont said, “Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels when they fall in love … ?” That is why a good marriage is more painfully hard to achieve than athletic or artistic prowess.
Raw, natural talent does not enable you to play baseball as a pro or write great literature without enduring discipline and enormous work. Why would it be easy to live lovingly and well with another human being in light of what is profoundly wrong within our human nature? Indeed, many people who have mastered athletics and art have failed miserably at marriage. So the biblical doctrine of sin explains why marriage— more than anything else that is good and important in this fallen world—is so painful and hard.
NO FALSE CHOICES
The reason that marriage is so painful and yet wonderful is because it is a reflection of the Gospel, which is painful and wonderful at once. The Gospel is—we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to believe, and at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us.
Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God’s saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God’s mercy and grace.
The hard times of marriage drive us to experience more of this transforming love of God. But a good marriage will also be a place where we experience more of this kind of transforming love at a human level.
This article is excerpt from THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE © 2011 by Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller. Published by Dutton, A Member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Excerpted with permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved. It originally ran on RELEVANTmagazine.com in 2012.
January 22, 2019 - Learning to Choose Joy
Four years ago today was a game changing day. And I will probably share this memory every year from now on. It was - and is - so monumental because it was the first time in my life that I truly understood the power of JOY. That has been the best lesson ever and has served me well through all the ups and downs of life since then.
I am so very thankful for a God who truly does love us just as we are, but who loves us too much to leave us there. He uses the MOST unexpected things - like the thing I most feared, losing my hair - to turn us into fearless warriors!!
January 22, 2015 Post:
Joy
We were supposed to go to a Grizzlies game tonight. We'd been planning it for almost a month. But when I came home from work to get ready to go, I saw it - the first bald spot on my head. I thought I was ready for it, but to actually SEE it was a little jarring. My first reaction was to cry, which I did for a few minutes. My next thought was that I couldn't go to the Fed Ex Forum looking like that!!
The next thought - I had better get used to this, unless I'm planning to stay in my house for the next several months!! To ENDURE this. And I know it is just hair - but all of a sudden, I realized that I have had pretty good hair and I'm going to miss it! An understandable human reaction.
If I stayed at home, no good would come from hours of staring at my growing bald spot. I knew that it was a defining moment - was I going to hide in sadness or choose joy? Joy won. Tonight, I understand more clearly than I ever have that joy is not an emotion - joy is a weapon that God gives us to fight the darts that satan aims in our direction.
So we got ready to go and I popped a hat on my head. NOTE: I am NOT a hat person, so this was a big deal for me! 
We went to the game, had AWESOME seats, and had a great time with dear friends who have seen us through ups and downs in life. It "fit" that we had planned this night with them and it was a joy-filled night.
We went to the game, had AWESOME seats, and had a great time with dear friends who have seen us through ups and downs in life. It "fit" that we had planned this night with them and it was a joy-filled night.
Joy is an option for us EVERY day - not as a reaction to favorable circumstances but as a God-given gift to share with the people around us. It is the better choice.
January 21, 2019
1. You have a gift only you can give.
2. Someone has a need only you can meet.
3. Joy is the journey where the gift and the need collide.
4. Your journey to give your gift will break you … but it will also make you. - You Version devo
2. Someone has a need only you can meet.
3. Joy is the journey where the gift and the need collide.
4. Your journey to give your gift will break you … but it will also make you. - You Version devo
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap...” Luke 6:38 NLT
January 20, 2019
Our message at Life Fellowship this weekend was so very good. We can all fall into comparison - and when we compare, we find so many reasons why God can’t use us. That is a lie.
This quote and these verses are great and tie into the message so well! Something very important that I am learning in this season is that if we quit waiting for everything to be perfect, and live for God’s purposes right now, He will use us in our current circumstances to point others to Him!
"Somewhere along the way, we got it into our heads that God calls only the perfect or the educated or the successful.... Somehow we have believed that only the 'worthy' can bring glory to a God who is worthy. Turns out that God uses the broken and the wounded." Angela Thomas
“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NLT
“Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” 2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
“For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:16 NLT
“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” Galatians 6:4-5 NLT
January 19, 2019
There is something very liberating about facing and dealing with the things you fear; then smiling and going on about your life. It is possible, with God's help, to do that.
"The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10 NLT)
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:2-4 NLT)
January 18, 2019
"Stay close to people who feel like sunlight." Author Unknown
I am so thankful for friends and family who feel like sunlight to me. At the top of the list are my girls - Mindy Boyd Baier and Kelli Williford. After Tony Boyd, they are the first ones I go to to celebrate, to cry, to laugh, to work through life’s ups and downs. We truly have a village of people watching out for us and praying for us, and I can’t imagine going through life any other way!!
I am so thankful for friends and family who feel like sunlight to me. At the top of the list are my girls - Mindy Boyd Baier and Kelli Williford. After Tony Boyd, they are the first ones I go to to celebrate, to cry, to laugh, to work through life’s ups and downs. We truly have a village of people watching out for us and praying for us, and I can’t imagine going through life any other way!!
Isolation isn’t a good place - we need each other. Sometimes, the worst advice comes from inside our heads. If you make one resolution this year - I would highly recommend investing in relationships. Sometimes it’s not easy - we may have to make the first move on a regular basis. But it’s worth the effort.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT
January 16, 2019 - This is the Plan? Revisited
We were so excited last week with the great results at the doctor! This week, I have been so tired (which is not surprising; the medicine I am taking definitely causes fatigue). One day, I can’t wait to plan the next big project; the next day, I sleep until noon and have no energy. I’m so grateful for where we are - but I’m also so impatient, wanting to make plans and look ahead but feeling frustrated at my inability to do that.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. For whatever reason - health, finances, relationship issues - we find ourselves in limbo; wanting to move forward but feeling stuck.
In the middle of my frustration, I read this post from a few years ago (this picture is from 2015 as well). At the time I wrote it, I had finished chemo and eye surgery, and was thinking we were at the end of this cancer stuff. Reading this post reminded me that even though life has had its surprises the past few years/months, God isn’t surprised - and He’s got everything under control. 🙂
“...this is what my purpose is right now, to give Him glory and to point people to Him during the unexpected detour....”
This IS the Plan??
Tony and I were talking today about how it's sometimes good that we don't know what the future holds - that it would have been overwhelming if we had known ahead of time what these last six months would be like.
As we were talking, I was thinking about what I would have been doing and working on these last few months, if all these medical things hadn't happened - if I hadn't had all this DOWN time. As I was thinking, it was as if God was saying to me, "This IS my plan. There is nothing more important for you to do than what you've been doing."
WHAT?? Even though I've talked about how this isn't a surprise to God, and that He would be glorified through this journey, I don't know that I have ever considered that this was God's PLAN for this part of my life. But when I looked at it from that perspective - that this is what my purpose is right now, to give Him glory and to point people to Him during the unexpected detour, I felt a huge relief. He has allowed me time to get to know Him on a deeper level, and He has provided everything I have needed.
It is all about perspective - and I will continue to CHOOSE JOY!!
“Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does.” (Job 37:14 GNT)
January 14, 2019 - Tucker's Tie Ceremony
Tony Boyd and I had the privilege of going with Mindy Boyd Baier and Michael Baier to Tucker’s tie ceremony at Grizzlies Prep. Earning a tie, especially in your first year at the school, is an honor for a Grizzlies Prep Scholar:
“The tie symbolizes an acceptance of our values and solidifies that scholars’ spot in our community. The earning of the tie is the outward showing of scholars’ internalization of our core values. We have high academic expectations and acknowledge that Grizzlies Prep is hard work. We will never ask a scholar to leave Grizzlies Prep for low academic levels upon arriving, however we expect that scholars are putting forth their best effort 100% of the time so we can work together to make the academic gains promised. Hence excellent behavior is a necessity.”
We are so proud of him!!
Sunday, June 30, 2019
January 13, 2019
Today was such a great day! I absolutely loved our message at church.
Patrick Conrad shared such a great word about living our lives on purpose. I was saying “that’s right” and “amen” so many times I probably aggravated the people around me! 🙂
The reason I loved it so much was because THIS is the key to the peace and joy that I have found in this season of life. I was blessed to have a mom who, when she was dying of cancer, stressed to her 35-year-old daughter the importance of living a life of significance and of investing in things that are eternal. Hearing our message today reminded me again of how very important it is that we are teaching THIS lesson to our children. They pay attention to our actions much more than just the words that we say. We can spend so much time focused on this life - our careers, homes, etc., when as Pastor Patrick said, we are doing “major remodels on a six-month lease”. We invest so much time, effort and worry into the things that will be gone in no time.
The fact is, I have cancer. And I had a great visit to the doctor last week. And God Can! Whatever He wants to happen in my life, will happen. But the fact for all of us is, this life is temporary. None of us will live forever here, this is the “short-term” destination and the only thing that matters here is that we live with significance as we prepare for our eternal lives.
If I can accomplish one thing in my life, my goal is to express and live out this message. We need to do the things that matter, that are eternal. Make sure that when this life is over, we have something eternal to show for our time here.
James 4:14, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." - Philippians 4:4-7 (The Message)
January 10, 2019 - Great Report at CTCA!
We have had a GREAT TRIP!!
PET scan showed decreases in tumor and lymph node sizes!! Tumor markers and other blood work looks great. Dr. McKnight said “congratulations” several times. He also said that I was blessed, that things look very good and there’s no reason to think that will change in the indefinite future. 🙂 Then I cried. Then we had a good talk and he said leave the worrying to him and his team. Then he hugged us both. We are so thankful for our doctor and thiscenter.
We will keep on what we are doing med-wise and I’ll come back monthly so they can keep monitoring. We are gonna go out to dinner to celebrate! Thanks for praying for us! And please continue praying for friends who are in the fight of their lives as they deal with cancer. This is not an easy road.
“But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” 2 Chronicles 20:17 NLT
January 9, 2019 - Carol McLeod
“What is joy after all? Is there a definition that can begin to describe the intensity of this simple, miraculous word? I think not ... but perhaps there is an infinite number of meanings found in the Word of God for this powerful word that makes all of the difference in a Christian's life!
• Joy is the peace that passes understanding.
• Joy is the crowd of witnesses that is cheering wildly for you!
• Joy is the knowledge that nothing can separate you from the love of God.
• Joy is angels on a hillside over Bethlehem one starry night.
• Joy is a stream in the desert and a way in the wilderness.
• Joy is His miraculous, unquenchable presence in my ordinary life.” Carol McLeod
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing JOYFUL praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with JOY.” Psalms 5:11 NLT
January 8, 2019 - Trip to CTCA
Tony and I head to Georgia early in the morning for a PET scan tomorrow afternoon. We’ll see the oncologist and have blood work (including tumor markers) and some other appointments on Thursday. They scheduled the PET scan in December when I was last there; it’s a regularly scheduled scan and I didn’t give it much thought until the last few days. I’ve heard people who have to get regular scans talk about “scanxiety”, and I am definitely fighting that tonight.
This verse came to mind as I was thinking and praying; I am thankful for the comfort it brings and we are claiming the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds!! Thank you for your prayers for us. We will let you know how things go later this week!
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
January 6, 2019 - Sue Sewell
I love what Sue Sewell says. And it applies to cancer - but it really applies to anything in our life that we try to control or handle on our own. 🙂
“Is there anyone out there who really believes they can control their cancer? We can try and we can do some good things, but control, no. When we are able to relinquish our ‘illusion’ of control to God, He is able to do far more with our lives than when we are busy ‘directing traffic’. That trust is translated into peace that affects all those we come in contact with. Trust becomes something that is visible, almost tangible—visible in our smile, our prayer, our conversation, our sickness, our losses or gains, our sorrow and our testimony. Yes, trust and faith are interchangeable. They overlap and they change lives. When you find that place of total trust, all of the surgery, treatment, and unknown future become simply a journey to walk with the Lord." - Sue Sewell
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 | NIV
January 5, 2019 - This Day
This video isn’t the greatest - but I love this song and its message!!
“This day is fragile; soon it will end
And once it has vanished, it will not come again
So let us love with a love pure and strong
Before this day is gone
And once it has vanished, it will not come again
So let us love with a love pure and strong
Before this day is gone
This day is fleeting; when it slips away
Not all our money can buy back this day
So let us pray that we might be a friend
Before this day is spent
Not all our money can buy back this day
So let us pray that we might be a friend
Before this day is spent
Chorus
This day we're given is golden
Let us show love
This day is ours for one moment
Let us sow love
This day we're given is golden
Let us show love
This day is ours for one moment
Let us sow love
This day is frail; it will pass by
So before it's too late to recapture the time
Let us share love; let us share God
Before this day is gone”
So before it's too late to recapture the time
Let us share love; let us share God
Before this day is gone”
January 4, 2019
Today was a unique day. I had an appointment to get blood work and some other medical stuff handled. I met with someone in the practice that I had never met before, which meant going through a more detailed medical history than normal. And just a note - other than being tired and having some bone pain, I feel great right now. The medical provider was surprised at how much has happened in the last few years. It does sound like a lot when you say it all at once - it was funny because I was talking about eye injections and his response was “wow, you have been through more in the last four years than most people deal with in 20 years.”
Then the medical provider asked if it was okay to share a scripture and pray with me. I said “Sure!” And then had a chance to tell him how God had been with me every step on this journey and I had learned more about His love for me in this season than I ever have before. The man said, “I could tell you were a believer just by the way you were sharing your history; you were so calm and upbeat about it.” He then said that it had been a blessing working with me.
This was the verse that He shared:
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
Such a great reminder of how God is with us, no matter where we find ourselves. As I read this devo and verse tonight, I was reminded again that we have a choice in how we respond to our circumstances, and God will use it for good if we will let Him.
“When you choose to defy the enemy with the joy that Jesus died to give you, you will become a powerful force in the world today. God can use joyful Christians who are bold enough to hang onto their joy no matter what is going on in their circumstances.” - Carol McLeod
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.” Psalms 5:11 NLT
January 1, 2019
I hope that your holidays have been restful and that you’ve had time to regroup and relax. We have had such fun with our family! And now, it’s back to reality.
Eye injection for me tomorrow, another doctor appointment on Friday, and back to Georgia for a PET scan next week. A friend just messaged me about her major surgery in the morning. So many friends and family members dealing with serious issues in their lives.
Life is hard. There are lots of ups and downs that we can’t see coming.
Pastor Patrick’s message this past weekend was so perfect for the new year, as he focused on the phrase “God Can”. And He can!! That thought ties so well with my devotion today (thank you for the wonderful gift, Ken Bradleyand Patty Roberts Bradley!!). Here’s a part of it:
“You have the promise that God will never let you down, that He will be with you every day of the new year to lead you and help you, that He Himself will strengthen you whenever you need extra strength, that He will hold you tight with His own hand and will help and protect you.”
Those are just some of the many things that God can and will do for us. I am thankful as we go into the new year that we are not alone and that He is with us!
“For I hold you by your right hand - I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” Isaiah 41:13 NLT
Thursday, June 27, 2019
December 31, 2018 - Joy
I’m not a person who has a word for the year on a regular basis. A couple of years ago, I felt like the word “fearless” kept coming into my mind, and looking back, it was a good reminder.
But this year is different. I have obviously come to love the word “Joy” and the phrase “Choose Joy” over the last few years but recently I feel like God is saying, “you’ve only scratched the surface of what I want to teach you.” Like I’m in 1st Grade Joy and He wants me to move to graduate level.
Looking at the verse below - there’s no action required to be filled with Joy other than loving the name of God. I can start at the wrong place so easily, thinking it’s up to me to find joy within myself rather than finding it in my walk with God. But instead:
Joy = Resting in Him
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.” Psalms 5:11 NLT
December 29, 2018 - Melanie Dale
I’ve been continuing to read “It’s Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn’t Choose” by Melanie Dale. The book is really unique and I can relate to a lot of what she discusses as she asks questions that many of us ask regarding why God allows suffering, allows bad things to happen to people. Then I read a post that our daughter shared relating to returning to America after almost three years out of the country. The suffering she and her family see on a regular basis is much different than what many people experience in the US - but again it’s a question of processing why things happen. And I don’t begin know the answers. But I do know this:
God sees things from a perspective that is so different than my limited, finite, human perspective. He knows what we are all dealing with. He weeps WITH us, as Pastor Tim shared last weekend. And His plans are for good for us - bigger picture than this temporary situation in which we currently find ourselves.
In the book, Melanie Dale quotes another author, Philip Yancey, and I love these words!!
“The fact that Jesus came to earth where he suffered and died does not remove pain from our lives. But it does show that God did not sit idly by and watch us suffer in isolation. He became one of us. Thus, in Jesus, God gives us an up-close and personal look at his response to human suffering. All our queries about God and suffering should, in fact, be filtered through what we know about Jesus.”
That is the real gift of Christmas for me this year. Yes, a baby was born. But what that baby did as He grew into someone just like us - and how He lived and died in the most “unfair” of circumstances - reminds me that He can most certainly be trusted with my circumstances!! 🙂
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT
December 28, 2018 - Bob Goff
“The way we deal with uncertainty says a lot about whether Jesus is ahead of us leading, or behind us just carrying our stuff.” - Bob Goff
December 28, 2018 - Kay Warren
“If we are going to experience joy in this lifetime, there’s only one possible way: we will have to choose it. We will have to choose it in spite of unbelievable circumstances. We will have to choose it in the middle of a situation that seems too hard to bear. We will have to choose it even if our worst nightmare comes true.” Kay Warren
I look up to Kay Warren. She faced her worst nightmare - the suicide of her son - and went on to write a book about choosing joy. I thought I understood joy - but in 2018, I have learned about joy on a new level as I have faced a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. What I have seen again and again this year is that joy is such a powerful weapon against anything that satan tries to throw at us!
We can focus on fear, wondering and worrying about how life will all work out - or we can thank God for the incredible blessings that He has given, and we can trust that He has our lives in His hands.
I am overwhelmed with all the kind birthday greetings. Thank you so much - you’ve made this day even better! But if there is anything I want people to know or remember about me, it is that I pointed them towards the one and only source of joy and strength - Immanuel, God with us!!
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.” Psalms 103:1-2
December 25, 2018 - Christmas
“Thank you, Lord. How could I ask for more?”
An absolutely priceless day with our girls and their families, Tony’s parents and John’s mom. I am thankful. 💕
December 24, 2018 - Breath of Heaven
Christmas is such a special time of year, and I can't wait to celebrate with our family! But I also am aware this year of the truth of Christmas - that God chose a "regular person" - Mary - to bring His son into this world, because of His love for us! I am so thankful for the happy, exciting and fun moments that this season brings - and I am so grateful for the gift of God's son, who came to earth for our salvation and for our healing. Merry Christmas!
"I have traveled many moonless nights
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy father you have come
And chosen me now to carry your son
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy father you have come
And chosen me now to carry your son
I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now
Be with me now
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now
Be with me now
Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven"
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven"
December 22, 2018
This has been a wonderful week. So fun spending time with family! In the last seven days, some or all of us have been to 1) Rudolph the Musical, 2) Cedar Hill Farm, 3) Starry Nights and 4) Zoo Lights. Tomorrow, we celebrate Graham’s birthday and then spend Christmas all together for the first time since 2014/2015 (we were together right after Christmas in 2015 so that was almost the same!!). Wow! That’s a lot to be thankful for!!
But in between all the fun, I have also been a little sad, or maybe more reflective. Part of it is being tired (I’m at the end of 21 days of the chemo pill; 7 days off before starting again, and I’ve spent the day in bed, trying to rest up for this week). Part of it is wondering how many more Christmas holidays we will all spend together.
I can dwell on that thought (and after all - none of us know the answer to that question!). OR, I can be thankful for the gift of this season. I don’t want to waste it on things that don’t matter - I want to treasure and take in every moment of this time we spend together. I would encourage you to do the same! Most of the things we stress over at this time of year, really aren’t worth the worry.
I read these verses tonight and they encouraged me. I’m thankful for all the blessings in my life and the mercy that God has shown us!
"For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him." Luke 1:49-50
December 19, 2018 - Joy
"When we look continually in faith to Jesus, not at our circumstances, we will find a tranquility within, no matter what is happening around us."
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV)
These words have been a comfort to me time and time again. It doesn't matter the challenge, we can be confident in the fact that God, and His plan, can be trusted. Choosing joy!
December 17, 2018 - Loss of a child
This is a special time of year; so many memories are created. But for some, it is a very difficult time. This year, we have had friends and family members experience the loss of a child.
I can’t imagine how painful this is, especially at Christmas. You are in my thoughts and prayers!
December 12, 2018 - Joy versus Worry
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 NLT
I have read this verse hundreds, if not thousands, of times, and I love it. But when I read it today, two words stood out so clearly. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.
If you’re like me, it doesn’t come naturally to not worry at all - there’s always something on our minds!! I don’t know when we stop worr.... being concerned for our children - it can feel like the responsible thing for us to do!!
Pastor Patrick spoke about Joy this weekend - and I was thinking as I listened that for me, the opposite of worry is Joy. The biggest change I have experienced this year is a huge move in the direction of not worrying, which is a little incredible considering my health situation! 🙂 But I know it is due to the power of prayer - people praying for us, God showing Himself to be so REAL in this season, and growing in my trust in Him. What a gift!
I just want to encourage any friends who are worrying today - He loves you and He knows your situation. He can be trusted.
December 10, 2018
“An orange tree doesn’t have to try to bear oranges. A tree doesn’t manufacture oranges. Simply by being nourished, by being stable, by being established where it is planted, it bears fruit.” Bobby Schuller, Stability in a Fragile World
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT
December 9, 2018 - Joy
“I know now that without shadows, joy can feel shallow. But, when we can discover joy while in the fight of our lives—no matter what that is—it is lasting.
Today, trust when it makes no sense?
Today, seek His presence when He feels so far away?
Today, fight back with joy?
Everyone who has faced a challenge, or who knows someone in the midst, needs to know that —
suffering doesn’t win.
Joy wins.” - Margaret Feinberg
December 9, 2018 - Willifords coming home!
Kelli Williford and John Adam Williford and their family will be headed here soon. We can’t wait to see them but we know that transitions in either direction are a huge adjustment. Please pray for them as they say goodbye to their home, friends, pets, school, church and everything that is familiar. Praying for safe travels as well!!
Kelli's post:
36 hours until our family flies back to the States for one year of family, friends, and fundraising.
Emotions are high as we say "see you later" to our Filipino family. Our children have spent most of their lives here, and though they are excited for food and fun in "Thamerica", they are also sad to leave their home here.
Since we won't be around in January, we went ahead and measured the kids for our doorpost!
I wonder what Graham will think of his big adventure?!
December 8, 2018 - Tony
AND ANOTHER THING!! 😁
I am sorry for the recent FB post overload, but I just HAD to share this.
My husband is the most awesome human I know.
He is a great dad, husband, pop, son, brother and friend - but he is more than that. He is one of the wisest people I have ever met. And I am thankful for his Godly wisdom and guidance in my life.
I was listening to a discussion the other day about raising children to have a relationship with God, and the importance of modeling a relationship with God for our children. I believe the same can be true of spouses and I am proof of that.
I would not be who I am without Tony Boyd. Most of the smart things I’m learning? And I post? Like being joyful? He has modeled that for me since I met him in 1979. He lives what he believes and he models a life that is steady because of his trust in God. He has dealt with some difficult things - and he never waivers. He loves what he does (he says “this is what we were born to do”) and it is so much fun to travel with him on this journey. He’s not perfect (I have to say that just because he would say I should) - but he is as close to perfect as anyone I have ever known. Kind and funny and a joy to wake up to! Of any blessing in my life - he is at the top of the list.
I love you, Tony.
December 8, 2018
First of all - I am feeling really good. Thank you to everyone for the kind words and encouragement. We have the best family and friends!
I have been thinking about something - what it is, that makes a "good" day or a "bad" day. And this isn’t always the case because sometimes heartbreak happens. But usually, it really isn't what happens - it's how we deal with it. Our attitude. Our focus.
Whether we have a great holiday or not, is totally up to us. It isn't dependent on our financial situation, our health, our job, etc. What we choose to focus on, will determine whether this is a Christmas we look back on with joy or with regret. We can choose to focus on the blessings or the frustrations. Our choice.
I read this quote by John Piper, and it fits with this thought - and this verse - so perfectly.
"Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have." - John Piper
"Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have." - John Piper
Merry Christmas!
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance." Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NLT)
December 7, 2018
“We don’t just want to read the end of our story and feel good about it. We want to take the pen and write it ourselves. We feel very certain how things should turn out...
Though we can’t predict or control or demand the outcome of our circumstances, we can know with great certainty we will be okay. Better than okay. Better than normal. We will be victorious because Jesus is victorious...
But what if the victory is only in part how things turn out? What if a bigger part of being victorious is how well we live today? This hour. This minute.” - Lysa TerKeurst
“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” Ephesians 4:1 NLT
December 7, 2018 - Cancer
I’ll be headed back home in a little while. Yesterday wasn’t a bad day - it just wasn’t as “AWESOME!” as some days have been. They did a scan of my chest, and the tumors in my lungs and lymph nodes are still there. They are basically stable - which is absolutely a WIN in the world of metastatic breast cancer.
But it doesn’t feel like a win to me. Elimination of tumors would be a win, in my line of thinking. Feeling strong and healthy would be a win. Instead, the tumors and I are “peacefully cohabitating”. I am tired, and I need to do more planning to figure out which days I will be “busy” - because I can’t handle the schedule I used to handle. I need rest days. In this world, tumors not growing (much), stable numbers, is a victory. I’ve always known that; it just feels different when you are the patient. This takes an adjustment in my mindset. And I KNOW that God could completely heal me in a second - but sometimes His plans aren’t so simple and clear and fast.
I listened to a song this morning as I had my devotion time; it was such a reminder that though this can feel like a LONG uphill journey, I’m not alone. And neither are you!
We have wonderful friends and family - but most of all, God is right by our side, letting us know that He is with us. Today, I am leaning into Him!!
“When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I'm standing in the fire
I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear
I know that You will be with me
When I'm standing in the fire
I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear
I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me” - Kari Jobe
I am not alone - Kari Jobe
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me” - Kari Jobe
I am not alone - Kari Jobe
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