Matthew 6:33 “What you should want most is God’s Kingdom and doing what He wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.” (ERV)
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
What the Bible verse mean? What is this Kingdom of God?
Continue reading2019 closes out another year of retirement life , and it’s time for our annual Newsletter (or litany?) For those living North of us, today’s highs were in the 70’s. For those living South of us, it’s “cooler by the mile” here during the Summer! 😎
Unlike 2018, we were not “bothered” in 2019 by a hurricane. It was only a weak tropical storm. We feel blessed. That’s blessing number 1. The prior year there was much talk about Florida getting its own time zone and skipping Eastern Standard Time altogether. This year, nothing happened. But, the sun continues to rise in the East and set to the West while we are stuck with EST and DST. Oh well.
Psalms 50:1 The Lord God Most Powerful has spoken. He calls to everyone on earth, from where the sun rises to where it sets. (ERV)
Continue readingThe Bible has a lot of Promises that God has given us. So wonderful!. It’s especially interesting to learn how Jesus grew while He lived on earth. If Jesus grew that way, then we can grow that way in our faith. Grow in Jesus
Some people may like to pick a verse and memorize it. Or do a “deep dive” [study the verse]. What to do? Choose a verse you like. I choose a verse from Book of Luke.
Luke 2:52 “As Jesus grew taller, he continued to grow in wisdom. God was pleased with him and so were the people who knew him.” (ERV)
I ask myself what this verse mean? I break it down and take each part alone.
Jesus grew in all these ways when He lived on earth, so we can grow this way also.
How do I make this verse meaningful to me? For me this verse means:
God wants me to grow physically, so I can be healthy for Him. Right now I am having some problems dealing with cancer, but I want to be as healthy as I can and live for Him.
God wants me to grow in wisdom, to learn things for Him. God wants me to more and more please Him, grow spiritually. God wants me to also please people, by earning their respect.
By memorizing and studying this verse, I find God wants me to learn by growing in Him. Jesus grew physically. He became wise. He pleased God and people liked him. God wants me to be like Jesus. So I can grow in these four ways as Jesus did. All of it is to grow in Him. Grow our faith in Jesus.
Psalm 16:8 “I always remember that the Lord is with me. He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me.” (ERV)
“You have cancer.” On August 30, 2018 I read those words on my doctor’s lips. It is cancer of Bone Marrow or Multiple Myeloma. Those words are hard to hear and accept. A friend of mine asked me: “How did you find out? Any symptoms? How did this happen?”
I had Anemia most of my life. Over the years, whenever I went to my family doctor for a six-month check-up, blood tests and lab tests were done. These were checked by my doctor. My doctor may then say to add some vitamins to help, or take another supplement. But when I went to my doctor in July, 2018, my doctor noticed I had a low blood cell count. She was concerned about that so she wanted me to see a Specialist. a Hematologist is one who studies blood and bone marrow. I started going to my Specialist in early August. More blood tests! One time 11 vials were taken! Also a Bone Marrow Biopsy. That hurts! On August 30, blood tests and bone marrow biopsy results came in. I was told that I have cancer of Bone Marrow or Myeloma. What’s that? It affects the plasma cells of bone marrow. It can be anywhere in my body where my bones are!
My Specialist set up a treatment plan for me. It won’t be Chemo by infusion, but I do have to get a strong drug, that is injected into my body. Usually in my stomach, and it is injected slowly. I go two times a week, Tuesdays and Fridays. Go for two weeks, and then I’m off one week. At the end of two weeks, I talk to the doctor, so that it may be adjusted as I go along. In addition to the Injections, I also take some pills to go along with the shots. The goal is for me to get into remission with this treatment. This means to make my cancer inactive. Why? Because there is no cure for this kind of cancer. I will always have it.
This was my Doctor’s plan for treatment. But in my mind, I’m still hearing the words, you have cancer! That is hard to accept.
So far I’ve gone through the first two weeks of treatment. And take all the pills too. Going to the Room where I get the ”shots” is humbling and mind boggling. I’ve gone to two offices; one office has room for about 10 patients, and the other office has room for about 20 patients. All these people have cancer, of one kind or another, They are either getting blood tests, infusion, chemo or shots, like me. More people to pray for! My treatments have side effects. One side effect is to make me feel tired all the time.
Psalm 62:1 “I must calm down and turn to God, only He can rescue me.” (ERV)
When I go for my “shots” I’m a little nervous! I realize some friends, as well as my brother, and my husband, and cousin have gone through cancer treatments. So I now understand more what they have gone through.
I am very thankful for you, my friends and my family who are praying for me, and my husband for his wonderful support. I’m learning to trust God more, no matter what happens. So thank you so much for your prayers.
I was born Deaf, but became deaf through a marvel of technology: the hearing-aid. What’s the difference between Deaf and deaf? Heart language and culture. There is a range in the severity of deafness. Mine was severe enough so I could not hear well enough to use a spoken language. Fortunately, hearing aids became available to me when I was in second grade. They were very large and expensive. With the hearing aid I could learn to speak English with the help of a Speach Therapist. My therapist also taught me how to read lips. English became my heart language, not ASL. So I was able to make my way through public schools. I barely made it to college, but then almost flunked out in my first term. By changing to a different major and minor, I had more teachers who spoke English without an accent. That made all the difference for me. I struggled all the way to graduation. Continue reading
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