Happy Camper Here

Day #1 post chemo was a steroid success! 

Started with John and I mountain 🚴 for 6-7 miles until we got rained out but it was a good ride nevertheless. 

My energy made me feel totally normal like I never even had chemo yesterday and THAT’S A HUGE PRAISE!! 

Monthly brunch with my friend and old boss, Dr Eric Henize at NorthStar Café .

Had a sweet call from my California cousin, Marietta, who lovingly reminded me of how much she prays for me and how close she is despite the miles!  Grocery shopped, mowed the lawn for 2 hours, and made that latte recipe I mentioned the other day! Oh my was that delish! If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll share it: Madeline’s Iced Matcha Pistachio Latte!

Today I prayed with some dear sisters in Christ, listened to worship music, and now about to read from the book, Practicing God’s Presence again. Here is an excerpt from the book that really hit me this morning:

“Brother Lawrence described for me the foundation of his faith: a lofty view of God and a lofty love of God. Once he recognized this, he rejected everything else on the spot so he could live, work, and breathe for the love of God. But he didn’t beat himself up if he somehow got distracted and forgot to focus on God. Instead, he would just confess his miserable sin before the Lord and turned back to Him with more confidence than ever. In fact, he said, the confidence we have and God pleases Him greatly and brings even more grace. God will never, ever deceive us, and He will never let someone who is totally dedicated to him… Ready to go through anything… Suffer too long.  Because Brother Lawrence had grown in his relationship with God and knew from experience how quickly God would help him, he didn’t panic when he ran into temptations. Instead he would call on God at just the right time, and the temptation would disappear. Knowing this, when he had a job to do, he didn’t worry about it ahead of time. He knew that when he had to move forward, God would show him clearly what to do, just as clearly as if he were seeing his own face in a mirror. At this point, he had been following this course for sometime, never expecting any trouble or roadblocks. Earlier though he always worried about the future. When anything distracted him from keeping his thoughts on God, the Lord would send a fresh reminder, enough to fill his soul with an overwhelming sense that He himself was right there. His presence was so strong that Brother Lawrence couldn’t keep it to himself… He would have to cry out, sing, and dance. He said he felt closer to God during the every day stuff of life than when he would hunker down in formal prayer times (remember he was a monk) that often left him spiritually dry. But, he added, he wouldn’t be surprised if he were hit by trials, maybe even serious enough to derail the sense of God‘s presence he had enjoyed for so long. Even if that happened, though, God‘s goodness assured him that the Lord would never abandon him. He knew God would always give him the strength to stand against any evil. So he knew he didn’t have to be afraid or worry any one else about it (those times when he had confided in someone, he had come away feeling worse than ever).  No, brother Lawrence wasn’t afraid because he had already decided he was willing to give up his life for the love of God. That kind of complete surrender was the sure path that God always kept lit. Living by faith and giving up one’s own will are the first steps of that path. Joy follows… A joy that can’t even be described. And when the road gets rough, we turn to Jesus, asking for the grace that makes the way straight once more. In the end, said Brother Lawrence, it doesn’t take skill or a high IQ to come to God… Just a heart totally sold out the Lord, devoted to him alone.”