Apples-Zeros

Cancer is a scary word and a scary diagnosis. It feels like your body has betrayed you…you have taken it for granted for many years, misused it, ,fed it the wrong foods, denied it exercise and rest, and yet it has hummed along  by performing day by day (most of what you asked of it.) It will always be that way….until one day everything changes….and in one instant you realize the rest of your life will  now be different. You will not assume anything more about your body, you will feel the smallest pain and wonder , and you will begin to really appreciate all you have been given, and taken for granted on a monumental scale. Finally you will come to see that cancer is so limited….and there is much that cancer cannot do.

It can’t damage LOVE..you will still love and be loved with the same amazing gift of God’s transforming hand each and every day. You will treasure the small moments with friends and strangers. You will delight in making people laugh or smile, kiss a baby’s teeny hand, caress a pet’s tummy and hear the birds sing their morning wake up call. You will still see the warmth in loved ones eyes and know you are precious in their sight…the hugs will be richer and the smiles deeper and every touch will let you know that God is there and watching over you in every way.

It can’t shatter HOPE although there will be days of roller coaster emotions to deal with…but hope is eternal and knowing that He is there makes each day one of grateful devotion. Do you believe God? Then hope is inevitable, and taking each day as a precious gift to be given to those around you is a given. What can I do for you today? Who can I bless? Help me to make someone’s day a little better is my prayer.

 It cannot corrode FAITH.  Faith is and always will be..without end or change..regardless of your circumstances. We were never promised a free ride and in fact, we are promised much sorrow and trouble in our Christian walk…it’s how you walk that talk that matters. This is your chance to show the world that your theology matches your reality (to mooch from Beth Moore’s BELIEVING GOD).

It cannot destroy PEACE  although your enemy will push every button you have to achieve that end…peace comes from our Father and residing in Him gives us everlasting peace and harmony to withstand the harshest upheavals…tears are a safety valve to let the pain flow, but peace is never far away.

It cannot kill real FRIENDSHIP.  It in fact enriches the depth of our family of friends. We see their hearts as we open up ours for healing…we see those gems that were hidden in clay and begin to see the people in our world as God sees them. I have prayed that I not come to the end of my life and find out that I have thrown away a fortune in friendships. I have been so incredibly blessed with the most wonderful friends…more riches here than Solomon.

It cannot suppress MEMORIES. Aren’t those special? From the ridiculous to the sublime…the smiles on our faces as we remember a childhood escapade, a youthful blush, even moments of grief over the span of our lives…these are all precious and special to each and should be treasured as the recordings of all that has happened and be thankful for the gift of remembrance.

It cannot silence COURAGE..it in fact ups the ante and gives us more than we thought possible when needed…we can take brief vacations from it ,but when the chips are down…isn’t it amazing how we can face our own demise and be calm within the storm? God is in every detail and gives us ample opportunity to see this on a daily and hourly basis if we only believe HIM.

It cannot invade the SOUL, the SPIRIT, or steal ETERNAL LIFE…now what is it that we fear? It is just the loss of this plane and it’s temporary pleasures and relationships….all the rest is meaningless and dross. We will have eternity with our brothers and sisters to rejoice and give praise to God…to sing and give glory to our creator, our Father, our redeemer, our rock,comforter and the great I AM…isn’t that a glorious journey to EMBRACE?

INSPIRED BY BOOKMARK FROM CANCER CARE SERVICES

CRUNCHY RAW BEET SALAD WITH PEAR*

Peel and cut 4 beets and 3 ripe pears into fine  matchsticks

Dress in lemon oil dressing(juice of 1 lemon plus 10 Tbsp. extra virgin oil makes about 3/4 cup dressing…use just a bit)  Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crumble feta cheese on top,sprinkle with mint leaves and sunflower seeds( I would prefer chopped almonds or walnuts to the seeds)

*This is from cook Jamie Oliver in “Cook with Jamie”, of which I have not read,but just saw this excerpt and thought it tempting to try.

I was feeling so tired yesterday due to combination of fibromyalgia and thyroid problems and was really not up for company…or so I thought. But once again friendship and fellowship triumphed.

The cool breeze billowing the curtains, the Mavs winning, Wallace rolling over RJ and giving him a cat bath  brought giggles and laughter galore…and thus the healing of friendship  and  laughter once again triumphed those pesky issues of life. Not to forget those steaks were yummy as well.

I have always loved teas: hot,cold, any flavor and I am there. The popularity of the green tea left me wanting a bit more flavor. Today I tried White Cranberry-Apple green tea and it is wonderful. It is supposed to be full of antioxidants and such, but the flavor is refreshing and a good pick-me up in the afternoon.

Since I do hand-made jewelry, many people tell me about how they can’t wear earrings unless they are real gold..and a few unlucky ones have trouble here as well.

I have found that NEOSPORIN works wonders in this department. If you dip your ear wire or post into the cream or ointment and then put your earrings in, it will help keep any infection or soreness down. I can wear the least expensive earrings now with no problems…but if you have another answer, please let me know. I have several customers who are really allergic to the nickel and other metals utilized in most jewelry.