10 months - a lifetime of lessons

March 14, 2010 - the date I last updated this blog. I admit that I have thought about updating this blog alot, especially lately, but somehow just couldn't find the motivation. Then last week, my youngest niece updated her blog(she has been as delinguent as I have), and she's included words about some of the tough hits she's taken lately. She inspired me - so here goes.
The weekend, I blogged about last year was for our family the last "normal" time we had. Alot has happened since then - some of you know all the details, some don't, but I will spare you the full story. In a nutshell - cancer is frightening, chemo is worse, and together they take away any confidence you had in your body to function as it should! Sound horrible - yeah maybe, BUT (and it's a hugh one) MY God is bigger than both of them combined. The verse this blog's title comes from reminds me of that each day. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." In that promise from God, I made it through a very difficult summer and I learned that it is Jeremiah 29: 12-13 that we need to live by. "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. I missed alot of things this summer with my family; our family dynamics have changed dramatically; and yes, we all have in some way been affected by my cancer! But, truly for the first time in my life, I learned how to "seek God with ALL of my heart" and to feel him listening and that changed me more than cancer and chemo ever could! There in lays the true miracle - my blessing of cancer! As of my last check up - I am cancer free(Praise God). Do I know what tomorrow will bring, NO, but then none of us does. Do I now know what a gift each moment, each day is - you betcha! I cherish every smile, every hug, every song sung, every frustration, every bit of chaos, every moment spent with my family and friends. Life - it is God given, and if we let it be God-controlled.
We ended 2010 with sweet memories, our family had a wonderful opportunity to go to Disney World and we loved it! Adventures such as that trip will hopefully fill 2011. I look forward to sharing them with each of you and along the way I hope that I can share with you some of the insights God has given and hopefully will continue to give.
Susan