Choices - A One Year Reflection

One year ago, I was driven to the Emergency Room at Cooper Hospital in Camden, NJ. By mid-afternoon, it was apparent that I would be having emergency surgery to  repair a larger hernia. I didn't have a choice. Hernias do not repair themselves. As I was prepped for surgery, I don't remember much except a feeling of peace that all would be well. 

When I awoke many hours later in Trauma ICU unable to speak due to a breathing tube down my throat and connected to a bunch of machines, I still had this incredible peace. I still don't remember much about that day, but I do know that while in surgery they made a life saving choice. They called the on call doctor for gynecological issues who happens to one of the "top" doctors in the country. He called my family and told them that I had he need to remove a large mass. My family had no choice but to give consent and allow him to "save" my life.

While recovering, I too, had a choice. I could mope around, whine and complain, and be a miserable patient, Or I could choose to be joyful, despite my circumstances. I chose joy, thankfulness, and smiling through it all. I wasn't in pain. I just had that nasty tube down my throat and was hungry! And thankfully, they released me the day before Thanksgiving.

As I was recovering, again, I could have chosen to be mad at God, wondered why me, and become bitter and angry, but I chose thankfulness and joy. When I received the dreaded cancer diagnosis, although shocked, I chose to see it as part of God's plan for my life and I was going to do my very best to live for Him. 

At times the past year hasn't been easy, but the choice to live for Jesus was never hard. This past weekend, the my choir family & I sang a beautiful song based on the hymn, "I'd Rather Have Jesus." The song lyrics talk about some of the choices we make in life. Do we live to get more & have more things??? Do we live to have houses and lands in several different places around the world??? Do we live to be the CEO of a major corporation??? Do we live to be the next American Idol or "Voice" or Top Chef or the Next Top Model or designer??? I'm not saying that having these things or achieving success is a bad thing, but what I am asking is what are your priorities??? If any of these things take away from your relationship with God, then maybe you need to make a choice.

Here is George Beverly Shea singing "I'd Rather Have Jesus." 

Over the past year, if I learned anything, I learned that I would rather have Jesus in my life while walking through a diagnosis of cancer and 6 rounds of chemo, than living one second without Him.

Have you chosen to believe in Christ??? It will be the best choice you will ever make!!!


As always, thank you faithful prayer warriors for upholding me with your prayers, encouragement. You are a big part of my healing!!!


Only by His strength,
Sandy

Summer - Part 3 - August & September and Early Autumn (October) + a Doctor appointment

In some ways August & September flew by quickly and in other ways it seemed to drag on and on. Not that summer is a bad thing, but working from 11am until 8pm doesn't leave much time to enjoy the warm sunshine.

On the morning of August 3rd, I had 2 medical appointments. The first was an ultrasound for my thyroid. My family doctor thought it was a bit enlarged during a regular appointment and wanted to make sure that there were no problems. The test was super easy and painless. My second appointment was my first follow-up with my wonderful oncologist, Dr. A. and he gave me a good report, gave me the okay to return to the gym, and ran his hand in my fuzzy hair. We laughed and he said, see you in 3 months!!! Yeah!!!! After that, I stopped in the Oncology/Infusion services to get my port "flushed."

Weekdays are busy assisting government employees from the Department of Commerce to various destinations around the world. I'm really enjoying the variety of places they travel and the people I talk to on each call.

As you'll see, my weekends have been filled with fun activities throughout August, September, and October. The first Saturday in August, we had dinner at a fabulous smorgasbord in Lancaster, PA with our friend, Peter, who was in the States from Japan. He teaches at a girls' school that sends a group of girls to Lancaster County (Amish country), PA for several weeks to experience American culture. Because Peter is fluent in both English & Japanese, he is one of the chaperones for the group. While in the States, he visits with his family and with my family. Here is a picture before we part for another year.

Peter, me, Janet, Mom, Dad. Too bad the photo taker's finger was in the way.

Not only was August 9th our Annual Choir Picnic, but it was the first time I was going to go "public" without a hat. I chose this day because the Choir is family. They have prayed for me, encouraged me, and helped me get through the past 9 months. It was so fun to arrive without a hat!!

The next weekend, August 16, one of my best friends took me out to lunch to celebrate my birthday. We always have such a wonderful time talking and catching up with each other. I wish we could get together more frequently, but my crazy life sometimes makes that impossible.

As a member of the Philadelphia Modern Quilt Guild, we sometimes bring in guest quilting instructors for workshop & lectures. On Saturday, August 23, I participated in the Jackie Gehring workshop. About 20 quilters played with fabric and some new techniques for the day. Below is my effort for the day.

The following weekend was Labor Day weekend. My sister and I planned to leave after work on Friday night and drive the 2 1/2 hours to the Poconos, but last minute we decided to leave early Saturday morning. We stopped a 2 quilting stores on the way up and arrived there around noon. The rest of the weekend was spent sewing, sleeping, eating, and laughing. All too soon it was time to pack up and return back to home.

September was a blur. Between being extremely busy at work, our online quilting business was part of an online shop hop, plus all the normal church activities were starting back up. Weekends were spent growing the business and trying to catch up doing things around the house.

One of the good things in September is that my hours changed a bit. I'm praying that they will change again sometime in November. I really miss attending choir, Bible study, and quilt guild meetings.

The first weekend in October, my Mom's side of the family had a cousin's reunion at their home. My Mom's father was one of 12 brothers and sisters. It's those children who now are attempting to keep in touch more and get together more. Someday, I'd love to include the next generation when we do a get-together, but since my generation is scattered all along the East Coast, it might be fairly difficult. Here is a picture of all the cousins in attendance.

The next weekend, October 11, I laid low recovering from a nasty head cold and a night with no sleep. Ugh!!! Thanks to lots of prayer, I was feeling better sooner than usual.

On Saturday, October 18, I was invited to attend the wedding of my friend Meredith. She is marrying her college sweetheart, Jesse. It was a sunny & warm October afternoon to attend an outdoor wedding. The bride was beautiful & the groom was handsome. The ceremony was touching and the reception was so much fun!!! I even got to Wobble!!!! Here is a picture of me with the happy couple.

From October 23 through October 27, my sister & I flew to Houston to attend Quilt Market. This is a huge buyer's show for those in the quilting business. Since we run an online quilting store, we went looking for the best in modern & contemporary quilting patterns and more. We were not disappointed!!! If you are reading this and you are a quilter, come check us out!!! www.thequiltersbazaar.com

In anticipation of my doctor appointment, I had my blood work done on Thursday. What will my numbers be now??? 

During October, work was busy, but not too crazy.

Finally, another follow-up appointment with my oncologist, Dr. A on Tuesday, November 4. He's always so pleasant and cheerful. He makes me smile. After checking everything, he said, see you in 3 months. Yeah!!! Everything is good!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!

I did ask him about my fatigue and he suggested swimming. I'm thankful that the gym I go to has a pool. So I'll do as Dory says ....

This passage has been on my mind the past few weeks. It's 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 6-18. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

John Piper on his website, www.desiringgod.org says this about 2 Corinthians 4:7, "...you should use your gift for the good of others and the glory of God is that your ordinariness is no reason not to. Too many people say, "I'm so ordinary, so average and undistinguished. I can't do anything significant." 2 Corinthians 4:7 shows that this argument is wrong and why. It says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels (or clay pots!) to show us that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us." God's concept of ministry is so different from the world's concept. The world stresses the classy container, not the glory of God in human weakness."

My church has been going through a series of messages called "Connect" based on our mission statement. It really pretty simple. We need to first Connect to God, then we need to Connect to God's People, and lastly, Connect to God's Work. By having this passage on my mind over the past several weeks, maybe God is reminding me to keep using my gifts & abilities for His glory. 

What about you??? Are you using your "treasure" to serve Him??? If not, start praying about where & how to serve. It doesn't need to be flashy or showy, it just needs to be done in love & for Him!!!

As always, thanks so much for praying!!! Here are a few things to continue to pray about for me:

- motivation to get to the gym & swim!
- increased energy level
- my former co-worker, Corinne, who was just diagnosed with cancer

Only by His Strength,
Sandy

Summer - Part 2 - July

Thursday, July 3rd began like any other day except that my sister & I were planning to travel up to the Poconos for the long Independence Day holiday after I set up my new work computer & phone, hopefully, by early afternoon.

Unfortunately, I had some issues setting getting the phone to link up through the internet. I put in a tech call to Alabama and then waited for someone to call me back. Meanwhile, I repacked for the weekend in the Poconos. My sister had gone out to run errands while I waited (patiently) for the tech guy to call me back. Around lunch time, I headed down to the first floor to grab something to eat. As I was walking down the stairs, I started to hear something. Drip, drip, drip …. OH NO!!!! There is a leak in the kitchen ceiling from the 2nd floor bathroom!!!! Quick …. Grab a bucket, paper towels, anything to mop up, but the drip continues. YIKES!!! Where’s the shut-off??? Go to the basement …. YIKES ….. all these valves and nothing is labeled!!! Where’s the main shut-off valve??? I don’t know!!! What to do??? What to do???

I called my Dad, but, unfortunately, he was over 2 hours away and couldn't help me. My sister came home and she couldn’t find the shut off valve either. We looked to see any neighbors were around, but alas, no one was home. To make a long story short, my friend Wendy saved the day and came over and found the valve to turn off all the water in the house. And we tried to relax & enjoy the rest of the weekend in the Poconos.

On Monday, we called the plumber and he came and assessed the damage and gave us an estimate. Since we didn’t have a lot of time, we agreed upon the price and he advised that the destruction company would be there on Thursday to tear out the kitchen ceiling, bathroom floor, kitchen floor, etc. What a mess!!! Plus, they brought in about 6 industrial strength dryers and dehumidifiers to make sure there was no mold, etc.

Meanwhile, we moved in to my sister’s old bedroom that has a day bed that converts to two single beds. This is not how I wanted to start working from home, commuting across town – for everything from a bathroom break to a meal break to dinner & sleeping. But, I’m thankful that my parents only live across town and they had the room to let us stay for as long as we needed.

Once everything was dry, they began to work on the plumbing. I was truly amazing to think that the plumbing that they fixed had been in the house for almost 100 years!!! Then, they came and dry-walled the ceiling, and put down the new kitchen floor, bathroom floor and vanity.

The blessing in all of this was we really needed a new bathroom floor and a new kitchen floor. It wasn't the way we planned to do a bathroom & kitchen remodel, but God is good … All. The. Time!!!

New kitchen floor

New bathroom floor

On July 12th, I attended the beautiful outdoor wedding of Lauren & Craig. I met Lauren & her family when we first came to Fellowship Alliance Chapel. She was in Elementary Sunday School when I started working at the church. We became friends and remained friends throughout the years. I was so honored that I was invited to celebrate her special day. She’s a beautiful young woman inside & out. Craig is a very blessed man!!! During the reception, I was seated with my choir director, Jerry & his lovely wife, Lynne, two of their three children, their spouses and their children. It was a fun reception, but unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to dance!!!

On July 13th, one of my bff’s, who lives in Germany, along with her husband and two kids (my “niece & nephew”), drove up from the shore to see me & my family. We had a picnic lunch in the park and watched the kids play for a bit. Then it was back to my parent’s to spend some more time together and watch the final of the World Cup Soccer match between Germany & Argentina. We all were happy Germany won. Then it was time for them to get the kids in the car and say good-bye to my family. I knew I would see them again in a couple of weeks, but my family wouldn’t.

I don't know whether it was the bed or a cool summer breeze during the night, but I spent a week with a terrible lower back ache. I felt like such an invalid!!! One night, I even found Ben G. and asked him to give me a back massage. Finally, after about a week, I was pain free!!!

On Sunday, July 20, was our church picnic and baptism service at our church camp. There was an abundance of food and good weather. But the best part was that over 25 people were baptized!!! They all came from diverse backgrounds and all had great stories of how Jesus Christ saved them. Praise the Lord!!!

The last weekend of July, I drove down the shore to see my bff & her family. The drive down seemed to take forever because of traffic, but once there we had a great time. The weather wasn't fantastic, so we went over to where the Cape May ferry terminal is located. They have a nice little play area and free mini-golf. We had fun. Finally, the sun came out for a while on Saturday afternoon, so we hit the beach. I sat on beach, soaked up some sun and watched the kids on their boogie boards. After getting the kids ready for bed, we went down to the “mall” for some ice cream and some girl time. Sunday morning, we went to church and relaxed at home. For dinner, we grabbed some hoagies, etc. and headed to a picnic area near the beach. After dinner, we tossed a disk around and watched the sunset. Again, after the kids were in bed, we took a walk around the neighborhood and had some more girl time. Monday morning came way to fast. It was time to say good-bye. Hugs & tears were all around. I miss them so much. The kids are growing up way too quickly. And I miss them calling me Aunt Fuzzy due to my new hair growth.

Tuesday morning, July 29, I went to get my blood test in anticipation of my doctor appointment on August 4. It was great seeing my nurse friends, but thankful that chapter of my life is done.

Part 3 – August - coming this weekend!!!

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

Summer - Part 1 - June

Yes, I'm still alive. Tired, but alive & counting my blessings.

When last I blogged, I was waiting for the results from my CT scan, packing for several weeks in Alabama to train for my new job, and trying to get some rest. Remember, I did say I was “trying.”

The weekend of June 14 & 15, one of my closest friends, Chris, came to visit. On Saturday, we went down the shore to Ocean City, NJ to have breakfast & walk/sit on the beach. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. We even got to watch some of the lifeguard trials. After driving home, he went off to have dinner with another friend and I showered, changed clothes and drove with my sister to church to sing with the choir. Sunday morning, it was back to church to sing with my choir family & teach KBS (Sunday School). Sunday was also Father’s Day, so we BBQ'd some brat burgers, Chris came back over, and we enjoyed another fabulous summer evening on our back deck. Chris left early to get to his hotel because he had an early morning flight. I finished packing my 2 suitcases and went to bed.

On Monday morning, I realized that I had packed way too much stuff and ended up repacking my suitcases before the shuttle picked me up. Whew!!! The flights to Birmingham weren't too bad. We left late from Philly, but I didn't miss my connection in Charlotte.

I was in training with another girl, Cindy, from Virginia. We got along great!! She had also worked for Carlson, so we knew some of the same people. We also enjoyed our time learning with our trainer, Tammy. Most days I think we laughed more than we learned. In fact, the class on the other side of the wall thought all we did was laugh.

And finally heard late on Monday, June 16 that the CT scan was good or “negative”!!! WooHoo!!! Praise the Lord!!! I am now in what I hope will be a long term relationship with NED (No Evidence of Disease). Of course I can’t be considered cancer-free until after 5 years, but I'm confident in the healing power of the Great Physician and the prayers of His people.

Over the 2 ½ weeks in Birmingham, we tried a different restaurant each night – from Mongolian to seafood, steak to Mexican. These figures were in front of the Mexican restaurant. I called them the metal Mexicans.

  

On the first weekend in Birmingham, I went to the botanical gardens and wandered around and visited a church recommended by Tammy. The church was big!! The music & message were very good. The remainder of the first weekend, I rested and rested and then rested some more. By Monday morning, I felt so much better. Training went well the next week. In fact, on Friday, they advised us that they were sending us home a day early!!!

The 2nd weekend in Birmingham, I drove to Atlanta to see our close family friends. The drive is about 3 hours, but it wasn't too bad. I arrived about 9pm and although I was tired, we stayed up and chatted until after 11pm!!! We relaxed on Saturday morning while they were getting their air-conditioning repaired. Meanwhile, I did my laundry and caught up on emails, etc. Saturday night, we went to the fabulous Georgia Aquarium. They have wonderful displays of many sea creatures. We just loved watching the Beluga whales, the dolphins, the rays, and the whale sharks. God’s creativity reaches to the depths of the sea, too!!!

On Sunday, I went to church. Again, the music and message were very good. One of the songs we sang really resounded with me, “Never Once” by written by Matt Redman, Jason Ingram, and Tim Wanstall. The video below is of Matt Redman singing these fabulous words:

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we've come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You've done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Carried by Your constant grace

Held within Your perfect peace

Never once, no, we never walk alone

Every step we are breathing in Your grace

Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

When we arrived back to work on Monday, we were officially done our classroom training and we were “on the phones.” It felt good to be talking travel again and helping people get from point A to point B. At first, I felt a little nervous, but as the day went on, I felt more & more comfortable on the phones and on the computer. On Tuesday, we were back on the phones again and making sure that we had everything we needed before we went home.

Tuesday night, I packed and repacked all my clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. I think I packed better going home than I did going to Birmingham. We left the hotel at 6:30 am. We checked in for our flights and they put me on stand-by for the earlier flight to Atlanta. They were offering vouchers if you were willing to change to a later flight, but as tempting as that was, I just wanted to get home. I did get on the earlier flight; it just meant I had a longer layover in Atlanta. I found my gate and an outlet and parked myself there until we were almost ready to leave. My carry-on bag was so incredibly heavy – 2 laptops, a phone, my Nook, and a notebook. I think I still have an indentation on my right shoulder!!! But thankfully on both flights, someone helped me get it into the overhead compartment!!!

Of course we were delayed in taking off from Atlanta due to some bad weather in Philly. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally made our way north. During the flight I read a bit and napped a bit. As we were on final approach, the handsome young man sitting in the middle seat started chatting with me. Turns out he had just been released from the Rome Braves, one of the minor league teams of the Atlanta Braves. His name is A.J. Holland and he’s a pitcher. It was fun talking to him. I wished him well and told him I hoped another team would pick him up. As of this writing, I don't think that has happened. He’s seems like a really nice guy.

If there’s one thing I really don’t like, its baggage claim in Philly. I think it’s THE slowest baggage claim in the world. And I've been to a lot of airports!!! It’s so slow that my sister had to make 3 trips around the airport until I could get to the curb!!! Ugh!!! Then of course, we got stuck in holiday traffic with people heading down the shore. What is usually a half hour trip home from the airport took over an hour. BUT it was great to be home and be with my family!!! And that night, it was definitely good to sleep in my own bed. Ahhhh!!!!!

And then July 3rd came…. Part 2 on Tuesday.

God provides. I’ve known it. I’ve seen it. I've lived it.

Only By His Strength,

Sandy

Auf Wiedersehen, Afscheid, Au Revoir, Farvel, Slán Mr. Chemo - Part 3 - On with Life!!!!!

So, what does a girl do after breaking up with Mr. Tall & Toxic??? Quick answer ... She lives life to the fullest and praises her Lord at every opportunity!!!

Here are a few more pictures from my Good-bye Mr. Chemo party on Tuesday, May 13.

I'll try to give you a brief summary of everything that has happened in the past few weeks and you'll understand why I'm just now writing my "ramblings."

Wednesday, May 14 - Received my final Neulasta injection, packed for business trip to Pittsburgh, and went to Choir rehearsal and continued the Good-bye Mr. Chemo party with my Choir Family.

Thursday, May 15 - 18 - I drove to Pittsburgh to attend Quilt Market with my sister and favorite business partner. This is for anyone who has a quilt related business to talk to vendors and see what's new. We are trying to get our business, The Quilter's Bazaar, off the ground. If you quilt or know someone who quilts, please check us out at: www.thequiltersbazaar.com!!!

We stopped several times on the way out the PA Turnpike. I was tired, but I did all the driving!!! Friday we walked about 1/2 the show floor. We took plenty of rest breaks and a longer than usual lunch break. By 3pm, I was exhausted so we drove back to the hotel. I tried to take a nap before dinner, but the Little People found me and started beating on my legs. Well, there goes the nap!!! After dinner, we relaxed in the room and went to bed and surprise, surprise, the Little People let me sleep. I think I tired them out with all the walking!!!

On Saturday, we went back downtown and did the other 1/2 of the show floor. Again, we took several breaks and had an extended lunch. We again finished a little early and headed back to the hotel. Since food wasn't tasting too bad this time around AND it was my sister's birthday, we decided to celebrate with some pie, pizza pie that is. After dinner, I thought, let's see if the Little People know how to swim. The hotel had a whirlpool and I thought it would be good for my legs. In fact, I thought I might even "drown" the Little People. Don't worry, I'm really not a violent person. The whirlpool felt wonderful!!! We stayed in for about 15 minutes and then went back to the room, got ready for bed, and relaxed. I fell asleep about 11:30 pm, then suddenly at 12:30 am, the Little People started beating on my legs. Thankfully, Ben G. made the trip with me and so did the Advil PM. With Ben massaging my legs, the Advil PM, and some prayer, I slept fairly good.

We left the Pittsburgh area on a beautiful Sunday morning. On the way home, we stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial. The National Park Service has done a wonderful job of telling the story of the flight and the lives lost on that flight on September 11, 2001. The rest of the drive home was easy peasy!!!

Monday, May 19 - I received a call in the morning to see if I was available for a phone interview at 5 pm that afternoon. As many of you know, I have been unemployed since the end of September. The job was for a full time, work-at-home travel agent position on a government account. Perfect for me!!! Spent the day trying to burn off a lot of nervous energy. I thought I did well and prayed that I would be offered the position. It was also my Mom's birthday, so we celebrated after my interview at Outback Steakhouse.

Tuesday - Saturday, May 20 - 24 - The rest of the week was a blur because my sister & I were preparing to be vendors at our town's May Fair on Saturday, May 24. My sister would be selling her handmade handbags and mini-clutches. We also had postcards out for my photo organizing business, Organized Memories (www.organizedmemoriesnj.com) and flyers for The Quilter's Bazaar. And I was waiting & praying & hoping to hear about the job.

Here's a link to my sister's Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/TheCreativeThreadJP

Sunday, May 25 - We attended church and then went out to lunch with friends who have moved away. It was fun to catch-up and meet some new people. 

Monday, May 26 was Memorial Day, so we relaxed and had dinner on our deck.

Tuesday - Thursday, May 27 - 29 - At this point, I'm still waiting for a call to advise me if I had been offered the position that I interviewed for on May 19. Because if I accepted the position, I would be flying to Birmingham, Alabama for 3 weeks of training beginning on Monday, June 2. I prayed, I tried to do other things, I emailed my contact who got the interview for me, and then I waited some more.

Friday, May 30 - Finally around noon, I heard that I did not get the position. I was disappointed, but a wise friend reminded me that if God wanted me to have this job, I would have it. There was a possibility that if they were busier than expected, they might still hire me. So, it was back to square one and looking for a travel job in a era when corporate or government travel agent jobs are few and far between. Thankfully, I was invited to a prayer & worship night at the home of a friend. It was a great night of singing praise, prayer, & worshipping my Lord that it took my mind off the fact that I was still unemployed.

Saturday, May 31 - Since I was unemployed, I remember a news report about people making a few dollars using their smartphone. I found the report and signed up with 3 of the companies. I spent Saturday morning going to a couple of stores, checking on a specific product, taking a couple of pictures with my phone, and earning a few dollars. It's not a lot of money, but every little bit helps!!!!

Sunday, June 1 - I spent the morning with some crazy 2nd graders teaching them about Obadiah. To say it was challenging was an understatement!!! I think when the calendar changed to June, they knew school was almost over. As they were leaving, one girl asked me, "Are we getting candy???" When I told her that candy was only given out if they behaved, she replied, "We can't help it, we're hyper!!!" Oh my!!!! But I love those crazy kids!!!! In the afternoon, our church was privileged to host a Creative Teaching Seminar with Steven James. He is a fantastic communicator & storyteller!!! After I got home, I think I took a nap until dinner.

Monday, June 2 - I forwarded my resume to a friend from church who I used to work with. She currently works for a different travel agency. That agency had some openings, so I prayed that having someone from the "inside" forwarding your resume would be a plus. I also sent my resume to my church who is also looking for a part-time administrative assistant. I figured part-time was better than no-time!!!!

Tuesday, June 3 - I went out to make a few more dollars using my smartphone. I'm the publicity person for the Iraq Ministry Support Team and we had a meeting on Tuesday night.

Wednesday, June 4 - I went back to MD Anderson to pick up my orders for my next CT (cat) scan and visited with the nurses. 

Thursday, June 5 - I spent the early afternoon doing a few more "jobs." I had been home only about 15 minutes when my travel contact called me. After the usual pleasantries, she commented that "it's been a short 3 weeks." At first I didn't understand, but then she told me that the company that decided not to hire me had changed their mind and they were offering me a position!!! WOO HOO!!! A full-time, work-at-home, travel agent on one of their government accounts. If I accepted, I would travel to their headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama for 3 weeks of training beginning on June 16. So..... should I accept???? After discussing with my family and sharing with close friends, I decided I would be CrAzY not to accept the position. 

Friday, June 6 - I spent most of Friday morning scheduling my CT scan. I also called my contact and advised her that I accepted the position. Now I had a little over a week to get ready to leave for 3 weeks!!! YIKES!!!!!!! On Friday afternoon the phone rang and the person on the other end asked for Organized Memories (my photo organizing business). Her son had just passed away and she was looking for someone to do a slideshow from pictures. Although I had really never done that before, I knew I could do it. So, I got all the details and arranged a time to meet on Saturday. On Friday evening, as a cancer survivor, I was invited to MD Anderson's Concert Under the Stars. It was a beautiful night filled with beautiful music and food. I especially liked the make your own sundaes from Baskin-Robbins!!!!

Saturday, June 7 - I met with my client and discussed her project. It was so sad to see a mother grieving her 44-year-old son who had passed away suddenly the previous Sunday. I'm praying for the family as they go through this difficult time. On Saturday afternoon, I spent time with my friend and her son -- lots of laughs.

Sunday, June 8 - Church!!! Great worship & great message!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

Monday, June 9 - Dropped off my client's slideshow in the morning. Picked-up the yucky tasting contrast in the afternoon. Of course, the instructions for the contrast are to drink about 1/2 around midnight and the other 1/2 about 1 hour before the scan. And of course, who fell asleep on the sofa trying to stay awake until midnight. Me!!!! I woke up at 1 am, grabbed a glass and drank 1/2 of the contrast and either I was dreaming or I wasn't quite awake, but this time it really didn't taste too bad. Amazing!!!! Unfortunately, the rest of the night I didn't sleep too well. 

Tuesday, June 10 - Woke up, got dressed and finished off the other 1/2 of the contrast. Drove to Cooper in Voorhees for the scan. Thankfully, I remembered to ask them to access my port for the IV. Yeah!!! I wouldn't be a human pincushion!!!! The test went smoothly and hopefully I will know the results before I go to Birmingham. I was tired the rest of the day, so I took a nap and rested most of the day. 

Wednesday, June 11 - Hooray!!! We made it to today!!!!!! Lots of things to do today to get ready to leave on Monday for 3 weeks. I should receive my travel itinerary today. And I have choir tonight!!!!

Thanks for reading my lengthy day-to-day and as always, thanks for the encouragement & love that you send my way. And thanks especially for all the prayers!!!!!!!

Hopefully, it won't be such a long stretch before I blog again.

Only by His Strength,
Sandy