Day October 24, 2016 Chemo Countdown, Tattoo Inspiration, and Delicious Cappuccino with Michaelah

Only 2 more chemo sessions after today. It has been a humbling 171 days
since my first biopsy. And it's been a remarkable journey thus far.  God
has been able to show me much about Himself, myself, and others. I am not one to allow myself to let even cancer keep me down, I choose joy in the trial, I want to see God's handiwork in everything I'm
experiencing,  He shows me how good He is and how much He loves me no matter life's circumstances, and He has especially taught me  how
unattached I need to be to this body thanks to Dr. Mary Neal who I met in Jackson, WY this summer.  It IS a gift each day to be alive, but my promise for an eternal future with Him is far better and I gain nothing by being perpetually gripped by fear, anger, or sadness. And until that time comes, I will serve Him wholeheartedly, seek Him in big and small things, and trust Him to be close, true, and my reason for being alive.  What I've learned about others is that we never really know what others are going through, so I choose to be more compassionate.

Others sometimes surprise me, too. There are those who disappointed me in their distancing during a difficult time when I thought they would show more compassion. For that, I have let go and forgive. Like I said, I don't know what they might be struggling or challenged with, so it's best to focus on those who God put in my life to show me His goodness. Those are the others who displayed unbelievable acts of love, kindness, and generosity. There are acquaintances that became friends, friends that became like family, and family that I can say I became closer to than before my cancer. There are those who brought us meals, those who sent cards and texts, those who visited for hours to keep me company, those who drove me to my chemo appointments and stayed with me to cook, clean and comfort, and those who generously gave monetarily from my dental patients to John's hockey teammates and everyone in between! There are so many that have shown both John and me just how much they truly love us and for that, we are profoundly thankful. Like I mentioned, I am very humbled. I am so blessed. After my chemo appointment today, which went well and I got to spend it with my daughter, Sarah, I was asked to attend a friend and sister in Christ's tattooing session.



If you have not yet watched this video, as I have referred to a few times in my blog, I can't say enough how this very video changed my life. I hope you make the time to watch it with an open mind and heart.

http://www.whitewhaletattoo.com/tattoos

  

  

 Since May 10, 2016 I have now been an inspiration to two young people, Jon Pyles (my son) and Michaelah Sargent to receive a tattoo. Cancer can deeply move people to action, including getting tattoos, and I am now moved to think differently about tattoos in general as well, starting with the cleanliness, decor, professionalism, and classiness of this tattoo studio in Cincinnati! Who knows what crazy things God can do as He moves me and my some of peeps to see His beauty differently, whether it be in cancer or tattoos.  Michaelah's tattoo design was inspired by these words in Scripture.

^{1 Peter 1: 23-25  (NLT)}
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living
word of God. As the Scriptures say,
"People are like grass;

    their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

http://www.carabellocoffee.com/

I'm not really a coffee person, but today I was treated by
Michaelah after her 'floral epidural engraving' to a most delicious
cappuccino. And to top off my day after chemo, not only did I get to
spend time with this dear friend, but she and I found ourselves in a
coffee shop sitting next to an old exposed brick wall that was holding
several tiny notes tucked in the missing mortar spaces between bricks.
We were moved to delicately remove  one at a time, simply pray for each
person that God put on our hearts who wrote them, then place them back in their nest of safety in the wall. What a privilege and sweet time of prayer with a beautiful spirit and sister.

It's now 12:30 am and I have  no sleep in these eyes. Oh, Lord, another night of steroid productivity!

PS I'm not sure why the text presents with unusual spacing in the first paragraph when you view it, so please overlook it. I tried to fix, but I'm not that savvy.