HAPPY 2010!

I've been terribly negligent at updating my blog the past couple of months but there has been so much going on. I travelled a lot for work through October, November & December; no place exotic, just Vancouver and Calgary but it still kept me busy.

I feel so incredibly blessed and overwhelmed by what is coming for the first part of 2010. Again, I'll be working a lot and gone a lot so I'm asking for your prayers for my family as we trudge through a hectic time of year for us. Perhaps one of the most exciting things coming up for me is a Women's mission trip to Zambia in late February! Sherwin & I prayed about this a great deal and feel very strongly that it is something I am supposed to do. Missions is something I have always wanted to experience but the opportunities never seemed right; this one feels right. I'm so excited to be travelling with a great group of women and having the opportunity to help women and children in Zambia. Stay posted for more information as it unfolds...

This Christmas was the first one in 3 years that I haven't been recovering from treatments or surgery so it was a welcome change. My family and I feel so blessed. However, I've learned that some friends of mine are not in the same situation. My friend's husband has been battling Brain Cancer for many years, mostly, it seemed to be at bay but the past year & a half have been difficult for them. Things looked good a couple of months ago but have gotten worse the past few weeks. They are a young couple with a 4 year old son; please keep them in your prayers. Another friend & mentor who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in Nov. 08 and chose alternative therapies beyond a successful Lumpectomy. In correspondence early this fall, she was doing well and feeling strong; however, the cancer is back and seems to be quite aggressive. She is now tackling an intensive chemo protocol. Please keep her in your prayers also.

While these situations bring my own cancer to the forefront of my thoughts, I know who holds my days and I will not let the fear of a recurrence rule my life. I will continue to thank God for each day and for the wonderful family & friends I have around me.

God Bless you in 2010!

Thanksgiving

Sometimes, I make things in life so much more complex then they need to be... I think about updating my blog but then think I need to make it so deep that it overwhelms me enough to keep me from just doing it. This weekend, I learned a valuable lesson from my 13 year old daughter.

Elisa was asked by our pastor to speak on Thanksgiving Sunday. She was asked to speak about something she is thankful for - the time limit was 1 to 3 minutes. Of course, since the "asking" came through me, I had definite ideas of what she could (in my mind "should") say. I imagined all kinds of great speeches she could give. However, every time I asked her if she knew what she wanted to say, she would be very vague. On Saturday night, I told her I'd get up with her in the morning to help her write it out - if you asked me, she clearly didn't know what she wanted to say or how she should say it. Sunday morning, Elisa got up early - before me - and wrote out what she wanted to say. When I got up, I asked her to practice what she wanted to say - at this point, I was still thinking that I knew what she should say. As she read what she'd written, tears formed in my eyes because what she'd expressed her thanks in a simple, sweet, & powerful way. Here's what she wrote:

"Friends", a simple word but with it comes many meanings. Proverbs says that a friend sticks closer than a brother. My definition is someone who you can trust, someone you can lean on and who will catch you when you fall. I know how hard it is to make friends when moving schools, towns, provinces, even countries. But, I have met wonderful people at ECC (Eaglemont Christian Church) who have become my friends. They comforted me while my mom was going through cancer. We have had a great relationship for 3 years and we support each other. While we have our ups and downs, they only make our friendship stronger. This is why I am thankful for my past, present, and future friends. Thank you!"

I loved it! I especially found that I was struck by the last statement: "I am thankful for my past, present, and future friends." What a great thought! How often do we think about being thankful for the people God "will" bring into our lives??? It's easy to be thankful for those who are currently in your life but how cool to think of the people who will be our friends in the future???

Thank-you, God, for my past, present, AND my future friends!

An anniversary...

Unfortunately, summer has barely made itself known to us this year. I'm am hoping and praying for more HOT days before the kids go back to school! I've been off most of the summer; although that brings financial challenges, it has given me valuable time with my girls - time that I know is worth so much more than money.

At times, I realize how much I missed out on over the past years with my girls. I'm not going to let the time just slip away any longer. Today, as I celebrate the anniversary of my first chemo treatment, I reflect on how blessed I am and just how precious and fleeting time really is.

I don't want life to pass me by in the "flurry of busy-ness"; I want to revel in the goodness and the challenges of each day. How about you?

This world is not our home

Today, I'm going to a funeral for a dear woman who reached 90 years of age. She is the Grandmother of my very good friends and I've known her my entire life. She lived a great life! She had 2 daughters, 7 grandchildren, & 20 Great-Grandchildren. I know that today will be sad for those who grieve her loss but it is also a time of celebration. Alice wanted to go home to the arms of Jesus for awhile; not just for the obvious reasons but also to be with her beloved husband, Clarence. What a reunion that must have been on Saturday!

Rest in Peace, Alice. You will be missed by many but we will meet again.

Tough love, tough times, & most of all triumphs...

Who said relationships are easy if you love each other??? I'd really like to know that person's definition of the word "easy"! My husband & I have had a very stressful few years as you may have guessed if you read the older blog posts or you know us personally. It's funny how stress works, though, it seems to affect people differently & at different times. A week or so ago, it was my husband's turn to lose it. He was feeling beaten down, unappreciated, & under-valued; mostly by me. YIKES! That's a tough pill to swallow. I've been working so hard to figure life out but here he was feeling left out & left in the dust. Ouch... hearing his anger & hurt was like a punch in the stomach - especially, when I honestly looked at myself and saw the truth in his words.

It hurts when someone calls us on our selfishness - however unintentional it may have been. The past week has been filled with many heart-to-heart conversations, much seeking after God for wise counsel & comfort, and many tears. We may not have everything figured out yet, we may still have tenuous moments, and we may still be a work in progress... but, I'm proud to say, there has been progress. We have a deep & abiding love for & commitment to each other, to God & to our children that we will cling to when times are rough.

As we continue to work through the mounds of unspoken words from the past couple of years, keep us in your prayers.