Dear Lord...THANK YOU!

" Thank you for ALL that you've DONE thus far...Thank you for BEING the GOD that you are...Thank You for FOOD on my TABLE...I've " LEARNED" that you're ABLE...I just WANT to Say..."

THANK YOU!

Those are the lyrics to one of my FAVORITE Gospel songs.

I ADDED..." LEARNED"  to the Lyrics.

Because that is the BLESSING...

 In...This...

 JOURNEY

Of MINE.

I'VE LEARNED...

That what GOD Has...

Is an "EXIT" Strategy.

For WHATEVER...

Needs "fixin"...In YOUR Life...

" There's a BALM...In Gilead!"

I "NEEDED" that "BALM",

To SPIRIT Me through BREAST CANCER!

And,

On

TODAY...

December 25th, 2013.
(The FIFTH Christmas...Since My Diagnosis!)

HALLELUJAH!!!

I'm HERE to TELL You...

" IF God ALLOWS Satan to DO It...
(Remember JOB!)
He WILL CERTAINLY Get You THROUGH It!"
( In my Rev. Jesse Voice!)

WHY...Was NEVER a Question I PONDERED Much.

ALL I SAID WAS...

"Okay, LORD...It's just YOU and ME!"

YOU
ARE
ALL
I
HAVE...

But, THANKFULLY

HE
WAS
ALL
I NEEDED!

SO,
ON
THIS
DAY...

The DAY we CELEBRATE...MY SAVIOR'S BIRTH.

I
JUST
WANT
TO
SAY...

THANK YOU!!!

Until Next Time...

" For unto us a CHILD is BORN, And His name WILL be Called
WONDERFUL,COUNSELOR,MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER,PRINCE OF PEACE."
Isaiah 9:6

It's OCTOBER...Again!

This is my FOURTH October,
Since being DIAGNOSED with...
Breast Cancer.

The month of OCTOBER,
Is BITTERSWEET for me.

On the one hand...
(The..."sweet!")

I have SURVIVED,
I still remain CANCER FREE...
After ALMOST four years.

That in and of itself
Is an ACCOMPLISHMENT.

On the OTHER hand...
(The..."bitter!")

I have MANY Friends...
Who haven't been "so lucky"

They have been Diagnosed...
Again...
And,
Again...
With NEW Cancers,
And, are PRESENTLY Fighting...

FOR...THEIR...LIVES!

I...AM...GRATEFUL...

FOR MY LIFE.

That God's Grace
His Mercies
CONTINUE to SURROUND Me.

BUT...

It's HARD to feel GOOD,

When WOMEN under the SAME Circumstances,

As Mine...

Are...

STILL FIGHTING...

Or,

Have

LOST...

Their

F.I.G.H.T!

It's October...Again!

I'M
STILL
HERE...

I'M
HEALTHY

I'M
CANCER
FREE!

Pray for those...

That are...

STILL...

In the "fight!"

I WILL CONTINUE...

"To FIGHT like a GIRL!"

Until Next Time...

" The Lord will FIGHT for YOU, and YOU shall "HOLD" your PEACE."
Exodus 14:14

53...Nothing Less!

I...WOKE...UP...
THIS
MORNING!

Joints were a LITTLE stiff.
(Chemotherapy is "NO FRIEND"...Of a Women's Bones!)

YES...

I
WOKE
UP,

THIS MORNING!

53...YEARS...YOUNG!

FEELING...

NOTHING
LESS,

THAN...

PURE "JOY"!

UNFAILING GRATITUDE!

IMMESUREABLE...LOVE!

My FIRST Words...

upon

Waking...

THANK YOU FATHER!

FOR HEALING...
(Cancer Free!)
FOR "ANOTHER" YEAR...
(Filled With LOVE & FRIENDSHIP!)
FOR MY FAMILY,
FOR MY LIFE!

Many People "Complain".
(I "too" was GUILTY of This!)

But...

AFTER
WHAT
GOD
PULLED
ME
THROUGH...

COMPLAIN?

"OUT OF THE QUESTION!"

TO "BE"...ALIVE
TO "BE"...IN REMISSION
TO JUST..."BE!"

The "mere" fact of that...
LEAVES...
"NO" ROOM...
FOR INGRATITUDE!

I AM...

53...Years Young.

LIFE...COULDN'T...BE...BETTER!

I
MAY
NOT
HAVE...

"What I Want",

But...I HAVE "ALL"...
That I NEED!

I...WOKE..UP...THIS...MORNING

FILLED...
WITH...JOY
GRATITUDE...

AND,

ABOVE ALL...

LOVE!

AT "ANY" AGE...

WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE?

Until Next Time...

" For if we are BESIDES Ourselves, It IS for GOD!"
2 Corinthians 5:13

Rumor Has It...

There have been NUMEROUS...
"Celebrity" Sighting.

JUST
THE "OTHER"
DAY,

I
HEARD,

Someone...

SAY.

That "they" were SEEN

In a Tank Top
At a Robin Thicke Concert.

GROOVING...

To "Blurred Lines".

There were people "whispering",
That "they" were in a Strapless Top...

ON FULL DISPLAY

While Jill Scott...Saaaaannnng...

"Living My Life Like It's GOLDEN!"

At Taste Of Chicago.

"They" even had the AUDACITY

To SHOW Up...

In a Sundress.

At a Chaka Khan Concert.

WHO ARE THEY?

I'll TELL You

IF...

You can KEEP a SECRET.

"THEY" Are...

My

"brand new"

"CUSTOM MADE"

gravity "defying"

Implants!

MY Sister named "them"

LAVERNE & SHIRLEY...
(Schlemiel...Schmaltz...Isn't that how the Theme Song started?)

Okay...

This may seem a "little"

Narcissistic.

After All...

They're just BREASTS...Right?

But,

"They" HAD Been with Me...
Since Adolescence.

Breast Cancer

"TOOK" Them in an INSTANT!

So..

Please INDULGE My BRIEF Flirtation,
With Narcissism!

RUMOR Has It...

"They" are BACK!
(Did I mention...I will "sag" before they will?)

There IS a LIGHT at the END of the Tunnel!

Stay Tuned...

More "Celebrity" Sightings To Come!

Until Next Time...

INSPIRED...

I haven't written a Blog
In almost...
2 months.

After MUCH thought...

I
DECIDED...

I just DIDN'T feel "Inspired."

LIFE
IS
DIFFICULT

At Times.

As I write this entry...

I'm PREPARING to attend the Funeral

OF
A
FRIEND,

And, Co-Worker.

Who LEFT this Earth,
At the "tender" age of 40.

Just two weeks ago,

I attended the Funeral...

Of a CHILDHOOD Friend.

We LIVED on the same block,
We PLAYED on the same streets.

He LOST his Battle with Cancer.

So, Frankly...

LIFE
HAS
BEEN
DIFFICULT

Lately.

A GOOD Friend

ALSO
A

Breast Cancer Survivor...

One of the," PINK SISTERS"

I've Traveled on this JOURNEY with.

Is having a MAJOR Setback,

Resulting from Reconstruction.

WITH
ALL
THIS...

I'd LIKE to GET in BED...

PULL the Covers "OVER" My HEAD,

AND,

PRETEND...

If I STAYED in BED

LONG
ENOUGH.

This would ALL,

GO
AWAY!

That would be the EASY thing to do.

But,

INSTEAD...

I "CHOOSE"...

TO

GET UP!

FACE THE DAY!

And, ACKNOWLEDGE...

Although...

LIFE
IS
DIFFICULT

"OUR" GOD

"MY" GOD.

IS ABLE!

I "CHOOSE"...

To BELIEVE...

"Weeping MAY endure for a NIGHT...

And, I BELIEVE...
(It's that FAITH "Thang!")

But, JOY...Comes in the MORNING."

With that JOY...

Comes HOPE.

And, HOPE...

Now that's INSPIRING...

Until Next Time...

I AM...BLESSED!

"When I look back over my LIFE...I have a TESTIMONY!"

EVERY morning I WAKE...
Reminds me...

"I...AM...BLESSED!"

It doesn't matter...
If it's...
SUNNY...
RAINING...

"I AM STILL HERE!"

BLESSED!

I can continue to LOVE...My Child.
(Ahem...Young Woman!)

BLESSED!

God has "allowed" us,
Almost four MORE years together.
("GRACE!")
Since my Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

BLESSED!

"Pink Sistahs"...

Who SUPPORT,
Who STRENGTHEN,

Each Other.

IN MY LIFE...

BLESSED!
(That I Am!)

You LEARN...

How to

APPRECIATE

LIFE...

After SURVIVING...

A DISEASE,

That has TAKEN...

SO MANY!

Simple Things...

The JOY of LAUGHTER...

Sights...Sounds...

TRULY...

I...AM...BLESSED!

And,

TOMORROW...

My FIRST Board Meeting!

For, "Illinois Lottery, Ticket For A Cure"

NOW...

I WILL have a SAY,

What BREAST CANCER Programs...

The Ticket Proceeds will BENEFIT.

I'll Say It AGAIN...

I...AM...BLESSED!

MY JOURNEY...

ALL Part Of God's PLAN.

I WILL Continue To...

SPEAK
TEACH
ENCOURAGE

Until there IS A Cure.

"I AM...BLESSED!"

YES!

Until Next Time...

"You have TURNED for Me my Mourning into DANCING!"
Psalms 30:11

True..."STRENGTH!"

This Blog Is Written For My Daughter...

When I tell people about my Breast Cancer Walk,
How MUCH it WEAKENED me.
How DIFFICULT it was to OVERCOME.

How I DIDN'T Know...

From DAY to DAY...

IF I'd even SURVIVE IT!

They ALWAYS say to me,
"You're SO Strong!"

I Can HONESTLY Tell You...
"I AM NOT!"

I was TAUGHT...
From as EARLY as I can REMEMBER...
To Put...

"One foot in FRONT of the OTHER!"

WALK...Towards your HEALING...
WALK...Towards ANY Obstacle...
You May Be FACING!

My Mother DID...
Robbie Watson Banks Cannady.
EVERYDAY OF HER LIFE!

No MATTER What OBSTACLE...
She FACED.

She put...
"One foot in FRONT of the OTHER!"
And, "CONQUERED" It!

After FIVE Children,
She RETURNED to School.
Received her GED...Certifications...
And, had a SUCCESSFUL Career in Education,
Lasting OVER 25 Years.

She, "BRAVED" her FINAL Walk with Cancer...
That Way!

"One foot in FRONT of the OTHER!"

With such GRACE...Humility...
It Was INSPIRING!
(Little did I Know...3 years LATER...I would NEED her Example!)

Her Mother...
My Grandmother...
Doris Watson.

In a TIME...During the 50's...
LEFT an ABUSIVE Husband.
(Back Then...You STOOD By Your Man...REGARDLESS!)
With a Child(My Mom)...In Tow.
Her "Only" Skills...
(By The "World's" Standards!)
"HER HANDS"...

She put...

"One foot in FRONT of the OTHER!"

And, "scrubbed" floors...
At Rush Presbyterian Hospital,
For OVER 20 Years.
While simultaneously...
Working as a Maid,
For YEARS for a Family in LaGrange.
 RAISING A Child Alone.

My Grandmother...

"Braved" Her Walk With Cancer the SAME Way...

"One foot in FRONT of the OTHER!"

Her GRACE....Humility...
Also, INSPIRING!
(Although, at 17...I DIDN'T Understand...That!)

SO...

BEFORE...
YOU...
SAY,

"You're SO Strong!"

KNOW
THAT

"TRUE STRENGTH"

Walked BEFORE Me.

In the EXAMPLE.
In the IMAGES.

Of MY MOTHER...
MY GRANDMOTHER...

That's WHY...

I'M ABLE...

"To put ONE foot in FRONT of the OTHER!"

My Darling Daughter, "So CAN You!"
(You have the "gene" too...For True "Strength"...Use It!)


Until Next Time...

"For you have ARMED me with STRENGTH for the BATTLE"
2 Samuel 22:40

AWESOME!!!

MY...GOD...IS...AWESOME!

I Woke up THIS Morning...
With the RENEWED Knowledge,
Of that FACT.

ON...MY...MIND!

Since my Breast Cancer Diagnosis...

I...JUST...NEVER...KNOW!

How I'll FEEL...

Physically...Emotionally...
(I KEEP telling you FOLKS...It's Lifelong!)

When...I...Wake.

My JOINTS are usually STIFF,
(Can anyone say...80 year old!)

From the medication I take,
To KEEP me, "Cancer Free".

My EMOTIONS...
(Can anyone say...Rollercoaster!)

BUT...TODAY...

I WOKE UP...

With NO Pain.
FILLED with such, "JOY".

AN AMAZING FEAT...I Must Say!
(My most RECENT Surgery...Just a MONTH Ago!)

WITH THE SONG...

"MY GOD IS AWESOME..."

Playing...Over...And,...Over...

IN MY HEAD!

I CAN TELL...
I CAN FEEL IT...

Something..."WONDERFUL"...

IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

How Do I Know...

You May Ask?

GOD...

Whispered...

It into My SPIRIT...

As I OPENED...

MY...

EYES!

That's

WHY
I
HAD

"NO PAIN"

"JUST JOY!"

 THIS MORNING...

"AWESOME!"

Stay Tuned...

Until Next Time...

"Though now you do not SEE Him, Yet BELIEVING, you REJOICE with JOY inexpressible, and FULL of Glory".
1 Peter 1:8

LIGHT...

I woke up this morning...
FEELING...LIGHT!
(No...I'm NOT talking about my weight!)

Since my Breast Cancer Diagnosis...
November 2009.
There's been a "tug of war"
On my FINANCES!

OFF...1 and, a half years for Treatment.
OFF...5 weeks...Reconstruction...Part 1.
OFF...(Just Recently)..4 weeks...Reconstruction...Part 2.
(Are you...NOTICING...A Trend, here?)

So, ANY...Single Working Adult...Should Be able,
TO RELATE.

My FINANCES...
(Que...Sera...Sera!)
As a Child...I LOVED Musicals...Hence, the reference!

I am a Nurse.
And, EVERYTIME I return to work...
"Oops...There IS another...Surgery!"
(I have ONE Final Surgery...looming in 4 months!)

ANGRY?
NO!
Just gets a "little" frustrating at times!
I've LEARNED to LIVE...
DIFFERENTLY!
I Believe...FRUGAL...Would be the word I'm looking for!
(But, Ladies...Don't feel BAD for me!)
I've SHOPPED...And, SHOPPED...
Before ALL this happened,
To LAST...ME...A Lifetime!

What I'm TRYING to Say..
(Using a "little" humor to "lighten" the mood...)

CANCER...CHANGES...EVERYTHING!

I SELDOM...Worried about MONEY,
As a Nurse...OVERTIME...
Although, physically taxing,
Provided...Freedom...From worry.

Cancer...Changed...That!
(My MIND...Is WILLING...But, my BODY...)

I SELDOM...Worried about my HEALTH,
Now, the FEAR...Of "It"...RETURNING...
Is ALWAYS...In the back of my mind!
(I have a FRIEND...Round 2...Breast Cancer...Returned!)

I KEEP A "SMILE" ON MY FACE...
(But, "underneath"...)

I WRITE THIS BLOG...

To give you a "window"...

What WE...As Cancer Survivors,

LIVE WITH...

EVERYDAY!

BUT...ON "THIS" SUNDAY MORNING...

I Woke Up...

Feeling..."LIGHT!"

MY "SPIRIT"...SOARS!

Yolanda Adams...Has a song,

"He's KEPT Me...In the Midst Of It All!"

YES...HE HAS!
YES... HE WILL!

Until Next Time...

"God is in the MIDST of Her, She shall NOT be MOVED!"
Psalms 46:5

Today...She Spoke!

I TOOK THE DAY OFF!

I Volunteer with The American Cancer Society,
Action Network in Illinois.
The asked me to SPEAK before The Illinois General
Assembly...
Department Of Health And Human Services,
Illinois Health Appropriations Committee.
(This Committee deals with Public Health Issues, and Funding)

Wow...That was a mouthful!

The Committee was ATTEMPTING to DETERMINE...

Just how MUCH...
Of the Governor's PROPOSED Cuts...
They would VOTE For.
Governor Quinn PROPOSED...
3.3 Million in cuts to IBCCP Funding.
If you've READ my Blog...
You are AWARE that Program,

SAVED MY LIFE!

The Program PROVIDES...
TOTAL Care for Women with Breast Cancer.

REGARDLESS OF INCOME!

LACK...Of...Insurance...

Is what DETERMINES your ELIGIBILITY.

SO CUT...WHAT?

I HAD TO SPEAK!

CUTS=DEATH!
(And, NO...I'm NOT being OVERLY Dramatic!)

After WAITING almost FOUR Hours...

It was MY TURN!

I closed my eyes...

And, ASKED the Lord...

TO USE ME!

It's IMPORTANT...
That the LEGISLATORS,
HAVE A FACE...TO PUT ON THIS DISEASE.

WE ARE MORE THAN JUST "NUMBERS" ON A BUDGET PROPOSAL!

They NEED to KNOW...
LIVES WILL BE AFFECTED!
LIVES "HANG" IN THE BALANCE,
BASED ON THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE!

I UNDERSTAND...
They have to be FISCALLY Responsible.

But,

As I "expressed" to them...
A MORAL responsibility,
Should "trump" that!

1 in 8  Women...
(I kid you not!)
Are DIAGNOSED with this disease EVERYDAY!

We Did NOTHING...
To DESERVE it.

I BELIEVE God "allows" things to occur in your LIFE...

TO SEE...

WHAT YOU WILL DO.
WHO YOU WILL BECOME.
AND, HOW IT WILL "TRANSFORM"...
YOUR LIFE...YOUR FAITH.

I told a "Sister" from Susan G. Komen TODAY...

BEING DIAGNOSED with BREAST CANCER...

ALLOWED MY "BREAKTHROUGH"'.
ALL THE "STUFF"...
THAT HAD NO PLACE...
TAKING UP "RESIDENCE" IN MY LIFE...

GONE!

I WAS HUMBLED...
I WAS "NAKED" FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE.
"STRIPPED"...BARE!

BUT...

I BECAME A "BETTER" VERSION OF...ME!

I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR THIS DISEASE.
I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS CAUSE!

I PRAY...
THAT "ONE" DAY...
WE LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT...
BREAST CANCER.

IMAGINE THAT.

TODAY SHE SPOKE.

Until Next Time...

"TO GOD BE THE GLORY!"

A FRIEND...IN NEED!

If you are anything like me...
You've HEARD things like this,
All your LIFE.

"In each LIFE...A little RAIN must FALL"
"It's ALWAYS darkest BEFORE the DAWN"

From "well meaning"...
Parents,
Grandparents.

Although,
When I was DIAGNOSED with Breast Cancer...
It DIDN'T rain...
IT POURED!

But, I've LEARNED,
There IS truth...
In ALL those OLD sayings.

On one such RAINY Day...
During my Chemotherapy,
I was feeling OVERWHELMED!
So, I drove to Mercy Hospital...
For a Breast Cancer Support Group.

As LUCK would have it...

It was the WRONG Day!

And...With TEARS welling up in my eyes...
THREATENING...To "spill" out...
The Nurse said, "Wait!"

There IS a Class in the Conference Room,

Called, "Look Good...Feel Better"

The Class is given by The American Cancer Society.

She went on to say...
"It teaches women going THROUGH Chemotherapy,"
How to "camouflage"...
The LOSS of your...
Hair...Eyebrows...Eyelashes.
Make-Up Classes.

NOT quite what I had in mind!

But...at the very LEAST,
There would be Women,
Who LOOKED like ME...
BALD,
And, ENDURING Chemotherapy.
(Yes...I ENDURED!)

So...I took...

A LEAP OF FAITH!

There were at least six women there.

In EVERY color of the Rainbow.

I "gravitated" towards a "Sister" who was there.
Who "appeared" even sicker than me!

She LAUGHED...TALKED...
Had FUN with her Make-Up!

Virginia.
(She won't mind me using her "real" name!)

We spoke...
Didn't exchange numbers.
But, when I returned home,
I mentioned her to my daughter.

At the next Support Group...
(Finally, had the date right!)

There she was.

We became "fast" friends!

Virginia had 1 Round of Chemo left...
I had 3...(I have to admit...just a "little" jealous!)
She was ALMOST done!

We DISCOVERED...
We had ALOT in COMMON.

Our Daughters are around the same age...

Both Of Us...

PROFESSIONAL,
STRONG,
INDEPENDENT,
(Did I mention...OPINIONATED?)
Women!

"Struggling" with CANCER.

DEALING...
With the RECENT LOSS...
Of OUR Moms.

NOW...

We're "Sisters"
(In EVERY sense!)

WE LAUGH,
WE CRY,
WE PRAY,
Together!

WE ENCOURAGE,
WE UPLIFT,
WE SUPPORT,
Each Other!

(It DOESN'T go AWAY after Treatment is OVER!)

We SHARE...ALL that we HAVE.

I have a FRIEND...

FOR LIFE!

Who has WALKED in my SHOES.
Who has ALSO come THROUGH...
VICTORIOUS!
On the "Other" Side,
Of Breast Cancer.

Who QUITE Simply Put...

UNDERSTANDS!

A FRIEND...INDEED!

Until Next Time...

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend,
who sticks closer than a brother"
Proverbs 18:24

Just Beneath The Surface...

No matter how HARD I try,
The Remnants...
Of My Breast Cancer Journey,
Remain...

Just...Beneath...The...Surface.

Lying...Dormant.

Waiting...

For the OPPORTUNITY,

To...Take...Me...Back!

To a Place...Far...Far...Away.

A Land...

Where the MEMORIES...

Of ALL I've ENDURED,

Are it's INHABITANTS.

A Place that REMINDS Me...

That although the BATTLE,

Has been WON...

There's still BLOOD,

Left on the BATTLEFIELD.

When you SURVIVE a Cancer Diagnosis,

You don't LEAVE...

UNSCATHED.

Memories are ALWAYS There.

The SCARS...

Gentle Reminders...

That Lord, " I know I've been CHANGED!"

I Don't, " DWELL" on what's happened.

But...

It's ALWAYS There...

Waiting...Just...Beneath...The...Surface.

When I'm HAPPY...It's Waiting.
When I STRUGGLE...It's Waiting.

Just...Beneath...The...Surface.

For the CHANCE...TO...

This wasn't part of MY Plan.
But, I've LEARNED...
( "Storms" are GREAT Teachers!)
This was PART of God's PLAN,
For My Life.

So...

FATHER...
(And, His Name will be called...)

YOUR WILL...
(Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God...)

NOT MY WILL...
(Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace.)

BE DONE!

Until Next Time...

" Commit your way to the Lord, Trust in Him, And He shall bring it to pass."
Psalms 37:5

Enough...

My daughter "cringes" when I say,
"Breast Cancer...Was a BLESSING!"
The Treatment...Harsh!

I KNOW...

It will take MY LIFETIME...

To "HEAL"...
Emotionally.

But...YES!

It's been a BLESSING!

I've been FORCED, to LEARN,
Some "HARD" Lessons.

One Being...

LIFE...
Isn't about the Planning.

But, about the LIVING...
One Day,
One Step,
One Moment...
At a Time!

Cancer,
FORCES You.
To FACE,
The INEVITABILITY...Of Death...

HEAD ON!

And, IF you...

S-U-R-V-I-V-E...

You RECEIVE...God's BLESSING...

Of GRACE.

The "things"...Of this World,
That you THOUGHT Mattered.

Career...Wealth...Status...Possessions.

You LEARN...

Really...Don't...Hold...ANY...Value...

AT ALL!

Lesson Two,

I NO LONGER NEED...

The "fanciest" Car,
The most "prestigious" Job.

I...HAVE... LEARNED!

Just HAVING...

A Car,
A Job,

IS ENOUGH!

That's what Cancer..
.
Teaches YOU.

That just having...

The NECESSITIES...

Are ENOUGH!

Lesson Three...

The ONLY "things"...

I NEED...

IN ABUNDANCE...

GOD'S LOVE...
FAMILY...
FRIENDSHIP...

And, a LIFE...

Filled...With...JOY!

That Is,

ENOUGH...

FOR ME!

Until Next Time...

"Though you do not see Him, Yet Believing, you REJOICE with JOY Inexpressible"
1 Peter 1:8

Whole...Again!

When I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer,
In 2009...
MANY Things were TAKEN from me.

My Livelihood...
(I was UNABLE to work during Treatment!)

My Health...
(Chemotherapy took a toll on my body!)

My Self Image...
(The Lord GIVES...And, TAKES Away!)

But...What...
COULDN'T be TAKEN...
MY FAITH!

Facing such UNCERTAINTY...
ALL...I...HAD...WAS...GOD!

EASY?
NO!

Yet, I MADE it Through!

My Journey...
Taught me MANY Lessons...

Humility...Gratitude...Grace...
(Just to name a few!)

A RENEWED Belief...
That WITH God...
NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE!

We HUMANS...
Mere Mortals that we are.

USE that Phrase OFTEN!
Sounds Good, Right?

But, a WALK...
A Journey...
Such as MINE.

Made Those Words...

MY REALITY!

Almost FOUR Years Later...

And, STILL, "CANCER FREE"
(GLORY To God!)

ALL...That was TAKEN..
.
Has been RESTORED!

I have PERMANENT Implants,
I have an UNSHAKEABLE Faith!
I have WOMEN who SURROUND Me,
That have WALKED in my Shoes.

I'm READY...
For WHATEVER Life...
Sends my way!

I have GOD to THANK...
For this RENEWED...
AWAKENING.

WHY?
You Say...

Because HE...And, ONLY HE...

Made ME...WHOLE...AGAIN!

Until Next Time...

"We are the Clay, And You our Potter."
Isaiah 64:8

Genes...

When you are diagnosed,
With Breast Cancer...
You discover who REALLY loves,
And, CARES about YOU.

I know for SOME...

Watching someone you LOVE suffer...
Is HARD!

But, you have to REMEMBER...

It's even HARDER...

For the person who has to ENDURE...

The Treatment!

Going IN...
I had NO expectations.
I was going to BEAT this,
No matter what!

My FAMILY was ALWAYS there...
Doctor's Visits...Surgeries...Chemo...
And, Radiation.

But, what was even more UPLIFTING for me...

I Discovered...
I had ANOTHER Family.
We didn't share the same GENES...
But, the LOVE shown to me,
By Them...

Was INSTRUMENTAL...

In my HEALING...
Conquering this Disease!

Many that I had WORSHIPPED with,
WORKED with,
FRIENDS of my Family,

OVERWHELMED Me.
With their THOUGHTFULNESS!

There wasn't a DAY...

That I didn't receive,
A Card...A Phone Call...A Visit,

To ENCOURAGE Me,
To REMIND Me.

That I was being PRAYED For!

To HELP on "those" days...
When I felt,
I COULDN'T ...

Genes are IMPORTANT.
(Especially a "good" fitting pair!)

They "make-up"...WHO we are.

Through this Journey,

I've LEARNED a VALUABLE Lesson...

LOVE...

ABOUNDS...With, and Without Them!

Until Next Time...

" A Friend LOVES at ALL Times"...Proverbs 17:17

What's Left For Me To Prove?

Since being Diagnosed,
With Breast Cancer...
I tend to not "sweat",
The "small" stuff.

(That INCLUDES..."small" minded people!)

I'm 52 years old...

And, I've done some "things" in
My Life.

I've had..."BIG" titles...
That paid me WELL.

I started at the bottom.

$7 dollars per hour,
Fresh out of an LPN Program in 1987.
And, I was "grateful" for it!
I had a...Profession,
Not "just" a job!
(For a single Mom...It was a "godsend!")

The Apostle Paul gave,(in my opinion!)
The "greatest" summation of one's,
Life Experiences...

"I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all
things, I have LEARNED...both to be FULL
and to be HUNGRY. Both to ABOUND and
to SUFFER need".

And, it ends with...

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:12-13.

So, with all that in mind...

The only opinion that "concerns" me....

Is what Jesus will think of My Life!

I was "spared"...From DYING from Breast Cancer.
Have I HELPED another "Pink Sister"...
Through her Journey?

I CONTINUE my "emotional" healing,
From this disease.
Because of my "network" of "Pink Sisters"...
Our Support Group...Is Life-Affirming!
Have I brought another "Pink Sister" in?
Into our AMAZING Community of Support?

I PROUDLY wear my PINK...

I did NOTHING to "deserve" this disease,
(You didn't do anything...WRONG!)
Have I shared this with another Sister?

So...

Whatever "drove" me at work...
The desire to prove...My Knowledge,
My Worth before Breast Cancer...

No longer exists!

ALL I want to prove...

NOW

Is My Life a reflection of Christ?

Do you see "Him" when you encounter me?

I just want to hear the words...

"My SERVANT...Well done!"

Until Next Time...