Are you clean??

Have you ever taken a bath or shower without soap?  Did you feel clean?  Be honest.  What about those armpits?  Did you really feel fresh and clean?

Soap has a cleansing power.  It can clean that grime off of you.  Can you feel that cleansing lather as you use soap to wash away a day's worth of work and play.  You feel refreshed and clean!!  You do need the right soap though.  Some brands just don't  have that same cleansing power or they don't smell quite right.

What about your soul?  Does it feel clean.  Have you been to the Cleansing Power and washed in the Purifying Soap?  There is only one Brand!

Psalm 51

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Romans 10

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Blessings

       
Just wanted to share this song with you.  I have heard it on the radio several times and I can only say I wish I had written it!!  I love this song!    I know I have had blessings come through raindrops and healing through tears . What are your mercies in disguise??  What does it take to know that God is near??




  Laura Story-Blessings


We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
* It's not our home *

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?




   

The Weigh Of Life

Yesterday as I weighed I heard a Voice in my head say, "Don't weigh again until next Wednesday".   Something dawned on me when I heard that Voice.  I have went from obsessing over eating to obsessing over what the scales might read each morning.

I have been trying to eat healthier, watch my portions and be more active and every since the scales started slowly inching  down I have been weighing every morning.  I have been setting small, attainable goals.  The weigh my mind has been working though I have been waking up with weighing on my mind.

This morning I almost stepped on the scales when  that Voice reminded me not to weigh until Wednesday.  I realized that the Voice was reminding me that my worth is not determined by what a scale might read.  My worth was determined many years ago when my Savior, Jesus Christ died in my place.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Light and no one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)

I am not sure what Wednesday will bring.  I might weigh less, I might weigh the same and hopefully I will not weigh more but even if I do I know that I am loved and I am worthy.  I do know that if I am going to be obsessed I need to obsess on things not of this earth.

Colossians 3

 ¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.


  

The Journey Continues: Week 12 after transplant

This week the visit for check up was an all day affair.  We left at eight and got back to Enid around five.  The new cancer center in Oklahoma City is really nice.  This was the fourth week in the new building.

It started with Richard hooked up to an IV for around two hours to get his immunoglobins.  He did get a free lunch though but then he said it just didn't taste that good.  His taste has been off for a while.  He said nothing taste right and some things just taste bad.

The Dr. did tell him she thought he was doing well.  His white blood counts were low again and he did get a shot for that.  She seemed excited that he was able to receive the A+ blood and said that is why his blood counts had been low.  His kidney function levels were a little high and she lowered the dose on the medicine that causes that to happen.  He has been coughing and hacking up stuff but they didn't say anything when they listened to his chest.

He is really tired of this journey.  He is ready to feel rested and do something he likes, maybe a game of golf or going on short vacation.  I have reminded him that they said it could take up to a year to completely recover and I got a dirty look.  I think that when he is able to do some of these things it will be a sweet victory.

Philippians 4:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Jungle Friends  Learning (Bailey Flanigan Series)Unlocked

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The Storm

Yesterday evening a storm passed through Enid.  At our house the lights went out once but came back on within 15 minutes.  The rain came in sheets and the wind blew causing the trees to sway.  Our addition was not much affected though.  I seen a few limbs down but the other parts of town were not so lucky.

Lots of trees were down, fences down and cars hit by those trees.  I went with another teacher to go meet new members for the upcoming Sunday School year in the fifth grade class.  Part of town was not really affected but the farther north we went we could see the damage.  We drove past yards full of trees and people trying to get it cleaned.  It was a mess.

Sometimes we face storms in our own life.  We might have a calm exterior but have storms raging or we may show the storm in our eyes.  We could be experiencing small storms or there could be the tree crushing kind of storms but whatever storm we face, if we have the right anchor, our Anchor will hold.  What storms are you facing?  I hope you know my Anchor!

i have journeyed
through the long dark night
out on the open sea
by faith alone
sight unknown
and yet his eyes were watching me

CHORUS
the anchor holds
though the ship is battered
the anchor holds
though the sails are torn
i have fallen on my knees
as i faced the raging seas
the anchor holds
in spite of the storm

i've had visions
i've had dreams
i've even held them in my hand
but i never knew
they would slip right through
like they were only grains of sand

CHORUS

i have been young
but i am older now
and there has been beauty these eyes have seen
but it was in the night
through the storms of my life
ohh thats where God proved his love to me

CHORUS

CHORUS   Ray Boltz
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The Journey Continues: Update on the last Update and 80 days out.

Richard is feeling better since he got his blood yesterday.  He did get 2 units because his counts had dropped below 7.  He also got a shot for his white counts being low.  I guess everything was low including his spirits.  I think that with his counts being that low he just felt bad.  He couldn't understand what was going on since he had been doing well then he started having the low white counts, which they blamed on the medicines. Then this week his red blood counts were low.  The Dr. had stated on Wednesday that what he was going through was normal at this stage in his recovery and that it could mean that his system was in the midst of changing completely over.

He was really discouraged and tired but getting that blood has given him more energy than he has had in several weeks.  What really lifted his spirits though and has changed his mood is the fact that they were able to give him A+ blood.  This means his immune system is changed!!!

Just thought I would let you know what a difference the gift of blood can do.  I know One who not only gave His blood but also His life. He rose again and paved the way for salvation.  His blood will change you and reserve a spot in heaven.  His name is Jesus and He did this for you and for me.

JESUS is the ultimate mood lifter!!  One day those who have chosen Jesus will  completely change over!!

1 Corinthians 15:52

New International Version (NIV)

in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

The Journey Continues: Week 11 and 1 day from transplant.

Today was a tough day for Richard.  This was Wednesday, our day to visit those bone marrow transplant Dr.s.  He will not admit this to you but he has been really tired since last week and today we found out why.  His  red and white blood counts are low and he will receive treatments tomorrow.  His immunglobulins are also low and he will be hooked up to an IV for two hours once a month starting next Wednesday.  The Dr. did say that this is not unusual for where he is at in the process.  It could have to do with his blood system completely converting over.  His blood has been A+, from B-,  for a while but there are some other things that needed to happen before the process is complete and that is what they think could be happening.

The day was tough for Richard because this was not what he wanted to hear.  He thought he might be low on red blood but was hoping that it wasn't bad enough to warrant a blood transfusion.  He also will have to be there early on those Wednesdays he needs the immunglobulin treatments.  This means he will miss more work and he doesn't want to give up those hours.  He may be getting discouraged and ready to get this process over with.

He just doesn't know how amazing and full of fight he has been.   He might just need to be reminded of how far he has come and how far he expects to go.  Sometimes getting to the finish line is full of unexpected delays but that just might make crossing the line even sweeter.

2 Timothy 4:7

New International Version (NIV)

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.