Was my DNA in Psalm 139?

I'm really enjoying Psalm 139 this year....probably should make it my project to memorize it!  Every time I read it, something new jumps out at me.  Several times I've pondered on what David (or the Holy Spirit!) meant in verse 15.   I love the way the Amplified Version puts it, "My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret (and) intricately and curiously wrought (as if embroidered with various colors) in the depths of the earth (a region of darkness and mystery)."  The "where" was what I pondered.  The thought came to me, "could it mean, going back to Adam being made out of dust 'out of the depths of the earth', and in him our own colorful embroidered DNA was begun?"

Then verses 16 and 17 are so precious, concerning God seeing our unformed substance, and already then had the number of our days in His book... AND  "How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!" vs 17 (Amp).   That's amazing, isn't it?   God is thinking about me!   now, today!

And so I want to communicate back with Him, and say, "God, I'm sooooooooooo glad to be in Your book.  I'm soooooooo glad you know the number of my days. I don't know how this cancer is working in my body, but I'm sooooooooo glad You do!    I'm soooooooooo glad you loved me, and each of Adam's descendants soooooooooo much that You'd send Your only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life!   (John 3:16)  Just thank you, dear LORD!"

more birthdays ahead?

      Yesterday was a wonderful day with the church having a special birthday celebration for my 70th birthday!  Such love and sharing and precious relationships were there!

      A few weeks ago, in my down times, I wondered if this would be my last birthday.   But God has just blessed me with His peace...that my times are in His Hands!  

      It's rather weird not knowing what's going on inside your body...BUT it's times like these, I can develop in my trust in knowing that He's the One who knows my sitting down and my rising up.  He understands my thoughts, and comprehends my path, and is acquainted with all my ways....and in His book the days that were fashioned for me are all written down. (paraphrased from Psalm 139). 

     So I will trust and not be afraid!  I'm also looking forward to a wonderful year ahead.

     

Airports...

       It's really amazing how God opens doors for conversation in an airport.   We were an unusual group of four women all coming back after varied necessary trips...two of us had been to funerals, and the other two had been with family who really needed them during a hard time.  

       Three of us quickly found out we were being guided by the Lord in our ways.  I pray the one who was quiet during that part of the conversation was given a little picture of the joy of having a Heavenly Father's care for His own.  It reminds me of the verses in 2 Corinthians 2 that says "For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost.  For those who are being lost, it is a deadly stench that kills; but for those who are being saved, it is a fragrance that brings life."   (verses 15, 16 from the Good News Testament).  

     I pray we were a fragrance that brings life.

Spokeo

After hearing about a website called spokeo, I almost feel like quitting blogging!   It gets all your info and makes it available publicly.   I really don't mind being transparent, but it seems like some people get this info and can use it in wrong ways.  Check out ky3's posts about it if you're interested.

  If you don't hear from me for a few days, it's not because of spokeo, but because we'll be with Earl's sister a lot, as her husband went to be with the Lord a few days ago.  Earl will help with the memorial.  Be praying for the family.  It is so good to know that one can know where they are going when they leave this life.  I love the LORD, and thank Him for His Word!   Also I thank the Lord, both Earl and I feel very well!  God is answering prayer.  

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.from Psalm 4:8

the big 7 0 !

Okay, certainly I should be able to come up with something wise now that I'm 70!   I've just had a great day, starting with Earl making breakfast for me---our favorite oatmeal with raisins, toast and coffee. Then, exercising with friends, having friends at the Monday Bible Study surprise me with a little birthday party, and having my sister drive 60 miles over to take me out to lunch made the day great, plus having phone calls, and all the birthday remembrances on Facebook.  Then a nap in the afternoon while listening to my pc audio reading the Psalms.   I really feel like I've had a WONDERFUL day.   The LORD is so good to me!  Thank you for all who read this and pray for me, too!  I'll write more when I'm more inspired...

Good news outweighs the bad news...

Yesterday, we got the good news, Earl's cancer had not climbed significantly on the PSA rating.
Then the bad news, that a fellow pastor had succumbed to cancer. 
Good news, this pastor loved His Savior a lot, and was always encouraging others to know Him.
Bad news, we received news of Earl's dear sister's husband's departure from this life.
Good news, his breathing was getting slower and when she whispered,  "you can trust the Lord to take you home now",  he squeezed her hand and in a few minutes breathed his last breath.  He was 94.

I like the phrase, Corrie ten Boom continually reminded herself and others,  "Jesus is Victor!"   As I think of myself, and this cancer coming back, I sometimes wonder, "Could it really claim this earthly life of mine?  or am I going to experience His healing?"  I had a dream the other night.  In it, Joel and I were swimming across a river, (it looked beautiful like our Buffalo River here in Arkansas) and as we got closer to the other side, the water was deeper and darker and suddenly a huge crocodile or something like it opened its jaws and came swimming toward us.  We turned and began swimming quickly back to shore.  It was gaining on us.  Though it seemed I was swimming as hard as I could, my son said, "Give it all you got...swim harder!"  (I'm glad we have a king-sized mattress, as I wonder if Earl would have been kicked out of bed by this time!) We swam harder and in my dream, I saw the crocodile turn back, and we swam safely to shore.   Could that be a vision of the jaws of death being defeated this time, and it's not my time yet to get to the other shore?   I am glad He's the One Who knows, and that I'm in HIS Hands!  Remind me of this verse if sometime I'm "swimming harder" and needing His assurance. "In nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."   Phil. 4:6, 7 and that JESUS IS VICTOR!

today, checking with Earl's doc...has HIS cancer spread??

Okay, TWO of us....dealing with cancer in the body.  Bright side is that we choose to talk together, pray together,  and even tease about how long we're to be here.   Though I'm feeling that God IS healing me, and Earl's has been held at bay for years, (God and JuicePlus!),  we laughed one day about saying how neither of us wanted to go to heaven before the other, and  envisioned being in beds side by side, dying on the same day!  OK, maybe this blog is a little too revealing!!!   Actually we do talk about living much more than about dying, but with JESUS, the BEST is always yet to come!

I want to say with Paul, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil. 1:21

here goes!

The radiologist thought it looked like metastases (spreading of the breast cancer)  in the CT scan.  I was sent for another CT scan...sent to another doctor, sent to a surgeon, then sent to the oncologist for a PET scan.  (Maybe, this late in life, I should start a new career, I've learned a lot about these things I never new before!)

January 3, 2011 - the beginning of an unexpected journey!  The PET scan showed "hot spots" (most probably metastases) in my lower spine and in my right hip.   Really to confirm the diagnosis would be to have a very painful biopsy in the bone, so they are just treating it like it is that, with daily tamoxifen and another PET scan in 3 months, hoping it has shrunk....or disappeared!!!  With God, all things are possible!
 
A few of the children have suggested I make a blog...tell my thoughts concerning this "unexpected journey" this year.   If  you want to peek in, welcome!   I have been so blessed with family!  Just thinking of family, I come up with...

• Those born from my MOTHER's womb (all 12 of us, and their mates and families!)
• Those born into Earl's  and my family, whether by natural birth, adoption, or living with us,  
• Those who are born from our Heavenly FATHER!
• and hopefully, some yet to be born into that heavenly family...

Having so much support in love and prayer from family is a wonderful gift!

My thoughts and feelings are varied...my questions not all answered, but if you want, I'll be sharing some of them with you.  My kids think it will be good for me to write it out....let's see!