Last week was a busy, but good week. On Sunday, September 13, our church's outdoor service finally included Children's Ministries and I volunteered to teach the large group Elementary lesson. We had about 35 kids in attendance and I really enjoyed teaching. In fact, I'm teaching on two Sundays in October. Hopefully, the weather will be nice and we can still be outside!!!
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| Pastor Justin & me before teaching KidBlast! |
Because of doing the Carboplatin Desensitization in the hospital, I needed to get a COVID-19 test on the way home from church. Thankfully, it's the rapid test and they only "scrape" the back of your tongue. It's still gag-worthy, but better than the pipe cleaner up the nose!!! I had the results back on Monday and again, I was negative.
On Tuesday, September 15, I had my oncologist appointment. Having already received the lab results via email and on my portal, I knew he would be pleased. My CA-125 was down to 26!!! I couldn't remember the last time that number was under 30. So, very good news at my appointment.
On Wednesday morning, September 16, my sister dropped me at Cooper Hospital to check-in and start my long day. Admissions seemed to go quicker and soon I was given my pass to the MD Anderson floor at Cooper. This time, I was going to be in a different room. I was kind of bummed. I was beginning to think of Room 530 as my room. However, this time I was in Room 528. The CORNER room. It was HUGE!!!
As I settled in and started moving the chair and plugging in my power cords, my nurse, Mary, came in and introduced herself. As we chatted, she asked a lot of questions. She even was tasked at asking about if I was depressed, etc. I told her absolutely not! I commented that if it wasn't for my faith in Christ and my incredible support network, I might be depressed. At that, she expressed her faith in Christ, too!!! We had some good chats. She and her family are currently attending a church in Philadelphia. I told her that she and her family were welcome at FAC. In fact, she was aware of one of our former pastors.
Of course that day I forgot my earbuds, so, since the door was closed, I just played my Christian music throughout the room while I worked on my computer and took a nap. Mary commented how much she enjoyed the music!!! My oncologist and his posse even stopped by after his morning in surgery. We talked about whether I should get a flu & pneumonia shot. He said I should after chemo is over. I also asked about a shingles shot since I had pretty bad case of chicken pox as a baby. He recommended not getting the shingles vaccination at this point in time. He then told an interesting story about how chicken pox is treated in Africa. ! We all were laughing by the time he left my room. I love my oncologist!!! I had my release papers and was home by 6pm. All in all, a very good day!
On Thursday, September 17, it was time for part 2 of my treatment -- Taxol. I drove myself to MDA and headed up to the infusion floor. I was called back and seated in the same seat that I first had a reaction to Taxol. After taking my vitals, I was informed that my nurse would be Becky. YEAH!!! Becky was one of my nurses back in 2014 when I had my first sets of chemo. It was great having a friendly face and someone who knew me. Of course, I remembered my earbuds, but forgot my chargers. UGH!!! However, due to all the pre-meds, I just took a nice nap, listened to music, and soon, my treatment was over and I was on my way home ... for another nap!!!
A few days ago, the US Supreme Court lost a legal giant, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to complications of pancreatic cancer. She fought many battles both in the courtroom and in her personal life. If you weren't aware, she also become a pop icon with the moniker - Notorious RBG. Her image has been immortalized on shirts, mugs, and posters. However, I'm not sure I would want to be considered, "Notorious." In my book, notorious people have a bad rap. But the notorious that RBG was is defined as "publicly or generally known." She certainly will never be forgotten for her tireless work striving to pass laws that provided equality for all.
In fact, some are proclaiming her a tzaddeket. “A Jewish teaching says those who die just before the Jewish new year are the ones God has held back until the last moment because they were needed most & were the most righteous,” NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg tweeted just after midnight.
What does it mean to be righteous? Dictionary.com defines righteous as "characterized by uprightness or morality." With that definition, most of us would consider ourselves righteous. However, in diving in to see how God defines righteous and righteousness, I see a beautiful picture throughout Scripture of how God sees and teaches us about righteousness.
The following statements (in italics) are from Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. And don't let the word theology make you stop reading. Theology basically means God knowledge. I don't know about you, but I need more God knowledge daily to combat what the world thinks is true.
God the Father is righteous (just); Jesus Christ his Son is the Righteous (Just) One; the Father through the Son and in the Spirit gives the gift of righteousness (justice) to repentant sinners for salvation; such believing sinners are declared righteous (just) by the Father through the Son, are made righteous (just) by the Holy Spirit working in them, and will be wholly righteous (just) in the age to come. They are and will be righteous because they are in a covenant relation with the living God, who is the God of all grace and mercy and who will bring to completion what he has begun in them by declaring them righteous for Christ's sake.
The appropriate background to bear in mind for understanding the teaching of both John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ on righteousness/justice are two of the dominant ideas of the Old Testament. First, Yahweh-Elohim, the Lord God, is righteous in that he speaks and Acts in accordance with the purity of his own holy nature; further, what he says and does for Israel is in accordance with his establishment of the covenant with this people (see Psalm 22:31; 40:10; 51:14; 71:15-24; Amos 5:21-24).
Second, the covenant people of God are called to live righteously, that is, in conformity to the demands of the covenant and according to God's will (see Psalm 1:4-6; 11:7; 72:1; Isa 1:16-17).
Thus God's people are righteous when they are in a right relation with him, when they enjoy his salvation; they are considered by God as the Judge of the world as righteous when they are being and doing what he requires in his covenant.
God's righteousness is, for Paul, God's saving activity in and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, his Son. It is activity that is directly in line with the saving activity of God in the Old Testament. The acceptance of the unique saving deed of God at Calvary by faith in the person of Jesus Christ is that which God has ordained to be the means for sinners (the unrighteous and the disobedient ones) to enter into the right with God, the Father, and receive the forgiveness of sins. God as the Judge justifies believing sinners by declaring them righteous in and through Jesus Christ; then he expects and enables these sinners to become righteous in word and deed. Faith works by love.
It would be a mistake, however, to think that Paul does not use the word "righteousness" in its more familiar meaning as a virtue. In fact he does so particularly in 1 and 2 Timothy. He commends striving for righteousness (1 Tim 6:11) as the right motivation of a person of God; and he sees the use of the inspired Scriptures as being to train Christians in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). Further, as a reward for his efforts for the kingdom of God he looks for "the crown of righteousness" (2 Tim 4:8).
Genesis 6:9 - "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God."
Genesis 15:6 - "And he (Abram) believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
2 Samuel 22:21 - “The Lord dealt with me (David) according to my righteousness..."
Job 1:1 - "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright (righteous), one who feared God and turned away from evil."
However, in Romans 3:9-25, it states:
"What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.
Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.
The venom of asps is under their lips.
Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins."
So friends. How do we attempt to live righteous lives? We all are born sinners!!! It clearly states in Philippians 3:7-9: "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—"
I want to live righteous, not notorious!!! How about you?
Prayer Requests:
- Thursday, October 1, 7:45am - Labwork - Continue to pray for lower CA-125 number and a higher platelet number.
- Sunday, October 4 - COVID-19 test - Pray for negative result
- Monday, October 5, 8am - Follow-up appointment with hematology doctor
- Tuesday, October 6, 8:45am - Follow-up appointment with oncologist
- Wednesday, October 7 - Carbo Desensitization - The last one!!!
- Thursday, October 8, 10:30am - Taxol infusion - The last one!!!
- Friday, October 9, 2pm - Injection - The last one!!!
In Other News:
September is
In September 2013, I wouldn't have known or probably cared that it was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. I didn't know anyone with ovarian cancer. I didn't realize that 1 in 75 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their lifetime.
I am that ONE!!!
I live with that statistic daily. I pray that a cure will be found in my lifetime.
By this time in September, I have already walked in the Together in Teal Run/Walk. However, due to COVID-19, this year's walk was cancelled and moved to a virtual event this Saturday, September 26. BUT ... Team Believe from the Mt. Laurel area is walking at Laurel Acres on September 26 and is graciously allowing me to walk alongside them.
I would ❤️ for you be a part of my fundraising team for 2020 and please consider being part of my "in-person" team for the September 2021 Run/Walk!!! More details in early 2021. The link is below if you would like to support me. Any amount is gratefully appreciated and will be used for Ovarian Cancer research by the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC).
I am really close to one of my intermediate goals.
Only by His Strength,
Sandy
PS - Thank you for your prayers & encouragement. They mean the world to me!!!
