Yup, got one today. Blood taken (a breeze...) CT scan, (no prob...) but the biopsy was in a lump right below my left ear...very close if not on top of my saliva gland. Biopsies are basically being poked with a needle at least 6 times. Twice is to numb the area and 4 times to "fish" for cells in the lump. The docs were nice and very chatty ladies saying encouraging things like, "You're doing so gooood!" It was reassuring, like when you were little and you got kudos for toughing it out.
It didn't lessen the pain though. Oh, it wasn't that bad, but imagine you are at the dentist and he is jamming that big needle into your gums. "It's just a little mosquito." my childhood dentist used to say to me.
I'm thinking, "More like a wasp--or maybe just a GIANT NEEDLE." But I digress... I felt like I was having one of those moments but on the outside of my jaw!
Ok, no more grossing out. Truthfully, ok, more truth, cuz I haven't been lying! I had a lot of peace today. Trying not to think about it until it's upon you is a great strategy. Praying and worshiping also worked. But now, after the fact, my lump does ache... hoping the ache will be gone tomorrow. Praying for the lump to disappear before they have to cut it out. The good news is that the mass is benign; bad news is they will have to remove it or it will keep growing. I have had it for a year and it isn't any bigger that I can tell. Yay for that. I'm still praying that my God will dissolve it. Will you agree with me in prayer for that? Thanks!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Lessons from a Drought
Took my daughter to Bayland Park for soccer practice last night. The drought has really done a number on it. Deep cracks in the dirt, dust patches where the nightly throw-together soccer teams scratch out their goals... I felt like I was walking on the moon as I circled the walking trail.
So I looked over to the soccer field where my daughter's team was practicing. It was green and bee-yoo-ti-ful! Well, compared to the yellow, dusty field with scraggly dying trees anyway. I decided to circle the green field instead. It smelled fresh and when the wind blew across it, there was almost a coolness accompanying it. It IS 97 plus degrees most days...actually it was over 100 degrees for 17 straight days in August.
As I enjoyed the breeze and watched the sky darken and color the clouds salmon and pink, I realized that this scene is an analogy for the world. Most people plod around a bleak track with dust in their eyes just following behind the guy in front of them, when nearby is a verdant, cool dwelling place where they can be refreshed!
Now the soccer field has a fence around it. It's not really open to everyone. Only those who are members of the Westbury Soccer team (and families) can be there. So really, no one on that dusty walking track could go to the field.
If you are a believer you know where I'm headed with this! :D Ok, even if you aren't, it's pretty clear. To become a member of God's team, we have to go through the gate of Jesus. We have full privileges of the team!
Walking in the living, refreshing presence of God is a place of comfort and renewal for us when we have to head back to the "track." How many days have I plodded through without taking the time to head to the richness of His "field?" How often do I forget that God is love?
I walked around that field till the sun slipped out of the sky and the clouds turned purple. I felt refreshed!
As the old worship song goes, "I'd rather be a doorkeeper in His house than to spend my whole life somewhere else..." (from Psalms I believe.)
So I looked over to the soccer field where my daughter's team was practicing. It was green and bee-yoo-ti-ful! Well, compared to the yellow, dusty field with scraggly dying trees anyway. I decided to circle the green field instead. It smelled fresh and when the wind blew across it, there was almost a coolness accompanying it. It IS 97 plus degrees most days...actually it was over 100 degrees for 17 straight days in August.
As I enjoyed the breeze and watched the sky darken and color the clouds salmon and pink, I realized that this scene is an analogy for the world. Most people plod around a bleak track with dust in their eyes just following behind the guy in front of them, when nearby is a verdant, cool dwelling place where they can be refreshed!
Now the soccer field has a fence around it. It's not really open to everyone. Only those who are members of the Westbury Soccer team (and families) can be there. So really, no one on that dusty walking track could go to the field.
If you are a believer you know where I'm headed with this! :D Ok, even if you aren't, it's pretty clear. To become a member of God's team, we have to go through the gate of Jesus. We have full privileges of the team!
Walking in the living, refreshing presence of God is a place of comfort and renewal for us when we have to head back to the "track." How many days have I plodded through without taking the time to head to the richness of His "field?" How often do I forget that God is love?
I walked around that field till the sun slipped out of the sky and the clouds turned purple. I felt refreshed!
As the old worship song goes, "I'd rather be a doorkeeper in His house than to spend my whole life somewhere else..." (from Psalms I believe.)
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Victor Update
Don't know if anyone really reads this blog. It seems like there is so much competition for our attention these days, blogs are just another thing to read. I've discovered some great ones, though. That said, I realize I haven't said much in a while about how Victor is doing, just in case others DO check in from time to time to see about him/us.
Victor has more energy these days. His back doesn't hurt constantly, just regularly... every couple of days, he says. I imagine it will constantly improve as it has been doing this past month and 1/2 since he's gotten out of the hospital.
Let's review:
Victor had his accident: May 14th.
Victor got out of the hospital: June 13th
Victor has been home for seven weeks.
We have been so blessed by other's giving. Just the other day, an anonymous donor put $100 in our mailbox. A very good friend bought us a new mattress, so Victor is now sleeping on it in our bedroom.
I have noticed that Victor is using his laptop now. He is paying bills and catching up on his emails--but don't expect one if he promised it while he was in the hospital! :D He doesn't remember much about his first 2-3 weeks there. ;D He wants to begin working out at the gym again. (Therapy?!!) He has driven a bit. We have gone on out to eat as a family a couple of times. The stimulation of a public place still weighs on him--it's hard to filter out distractions. He is beginning to cook for himself if I'm not available, and do some housework. All good things. Still, he is tires easily. It's a slow road, but he's making his way.
He has been asking questions about the accident, and has pretty much interviewed everyone that was there at the time--except of course the paramedics! He's trying to piece everything together... The other day he mentioned wanting to go back to the hospital so he can see it from another perspective. Being a patient was not much to his liking.
Both Victor and I are challenged to work through issues that were perhaps easier to ignore before the accident. I call it "before the fall." With the disruption from our daily lives of the accident--we seem to be seeing things through new eyes.
We still appreciate your prayers and encouragement! Thanks to everyone who has rallied around us.
Victor has more energy these days. His back doesn't hurt constantly, just regularly... every couple of days, he says. I imagine it will constantly improve as it has been doing this past month and 1/2 since he's gotten out of the hospital.
Let's review:
Victor had his accident: May 14th.
Victor got out of the hospital: June 13th
Victor has been home for seven weeks.
We have been so blessed by other's giving. Just the other day, an anonymous donor put $100 in our mailbox. A very good friend bought us a new mattress, so Victor is now sleeping on it in our bedroom.
I have noticed that Victor is using his laptop now. He is paying bills and catching up on his emails--but don't expect one if he promised it while he was in the hospital! :D He doesn't remember much about his first 2-3 weeks there. ;D He wants to begin working out at the gym again. (Therapy?!!) He has driven a bit. We have gone on out to eat as a family a couple of times. The stimulation of a public place still weighs on him--it's hard to filter out distractions. He is beginning to cook for himself if I'm not available, and do some housework. All good things. Still, he is tires easily. It's a slow road, but he's making his way.
He has been asking questions about the accident, and has pretty much interviewed everyone that was there at the time--except of course the paramedics! He's trying to piece everything together... The other day he mentioned wanting to go back to the hospital so he can see it from another perspective. Being a patient was not much to his liking.
Both Victor and I are challenged to work through issues that were perhaps easier to ignore before the accident. I call it "before the fall." With the disruption from our daily lives of the accident--we seem to be seeing things through new eyes.
We still appreciate your prayers and encouragement! Thanks to everyone who has rallied around us.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Laugh, Don't Cry
Our camel's back has
Small straws
Lost necesities
Library books
Shampoo and soap
Garage door opener
Larger straws
Car wreck
Law suits
Mortgage
Bills
A sick child
Broken bones
Bad backs
Fear and paranoia
Feral and fierce
Laser focus
I can't stand up to
So ridiculous
I hurry to laugh
Quick
Hold my hand
We pray
Frustrated fighting
Falls flat
In the face of Faith
Small straws
Lost necesities
Library books
Shampoo and soap
Garage door opener
Larger straws
Car wreck
Law suits
Mortgage
Bills
A sick child
Broken bones
Bad backs
Fear and paranoia
Feral and fierce
Laser focus
I can't stand up to
So ridiculous
I hurry to laugh
Quick
Hold my hand
We pray
Frustrated fighting
Falls flat
In the face of Faith
Monday, July 25, 2011
Mary Tyler Moore Lives Here
Canned laughter floats through my home over the roar of the air conditioning.
Ever since my husband has come home from the hospital, he has watched tv to distract him from all the back, ribs, shoulder pain. Nostalgic channels seem to work the most miracles on him. You know the tv shows he watched as a kid that are rebroadcast regularly.
Oh there's Lucy and Ricky, The Brady Bunch, and even The Twilight Zone. But Mary Tyler Moore seems to work her magic the best. I love the old Dick Van Dyke show with Rob, Laura, Richie, Buddy, Sally, Mel, and of course the neighbors Jerry and Millie. But MTM also has Mary in the 70's--you know Oprah's idol, the news producer alone in the city. These two shows are back to back sometimes twice a day.
They say laughter is the best medicine and in this case, I guess it's true!
Ever since my husband has come home from the hospital, he has watched tv to distract him from all the back, ribs, shoulder pain. Nostalgic channels seem to work the most miracles on him. You know the tv shows he watched as a kid that are rebroadcast regularly.
Oh there's Lucy and Ricky, The Brady Bunch, and even The Twilight Zone. But Mary Tyler Moore seems to work her magic the best. I love the old Dick Van Dyke show with Rob, Laura, Richie, Buddy, Sally, Mel, and of course the neighbors Jerry and Millie. But MTM also has Mary in the 70's--you know Oprah's idol, the news producer alone in the city. These two shows are back to back sometimes twice a day.
They say laughter is the best medicine and in this case, I guess it's true!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
More on Rebekah, Isaac, Jesus and You
Rebekah means Bound. Wow! On a whim I looked this up. If we, the church, are Rebekah, the Bride of Christ, we are bound to Him. Awesome.
I had wanted to write more on what I learned from the Chumash, (see last post: Isaac and Rebekah.) It mentioned that while Rebekah approached from her camel, she inclined towards Isaac. I see this as a picture of us as we are journeying towards Jesus, our husband. We are inclining towards Him as we worship him in both large settings and privately, and when we read, study and pray the Word.
I have always been a bit flustered since I heard a sermon on the word, prayer. It means "to kiss." Like a girl on her first date kind of flustered. Pink cheeks, flustered. I mean what kind of intimacy is that? Something most of us can relate to! Are you "praying" this intimately with Him? Is He touching your heartstrings like a lover? Do you feel the same intimacy with your Maker as you do your boy or girl friend, or spouse--at least in the good ol' days when you were newlyweds! Hopefully, you are still in that wonderful stage--but I digress.
In the Chumash the commentary says, "Finally, Isaac brought [Rebekah] to his mother's tent, and there it became apparent that she was a fitting successor to Sarah, for the holy presence of Sarah returned to the tent of her son, It was then that Isaac loved her..."
Sarah means princess. The Jews see her as a princess of their people...maybe more like a queen. The Chumash seems to make her into a saint in the above quote when they talk about her "holy presence" in the tent. A bit creepy. Kind of like making love in your in-laws bedroom... But my point today is that Sarah does, in a sense, bequeath her royalty to Rebekah. We, too, receive a royalty when we become a child of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
So, whethter you are a male or female, prince or princess, we are going to wed the Prince of Peace. Shouldn't we be doing a lot of kissing?
I had wanted to write more on what I learned from the Chumash, (see last post: Isaac and Rebekah.) It mentioned that while Rebekah approached from her camel, she inclined towards Isaac. I see this as a picture of us as we are journeying towards Jesus, our husband. We are inclining towards Him as we worship him in both large settings and privately, and when we read, study and pray the Word.
I have always been a bit flustered since I heard a sermon on the word, prayer. It means "to kiss." Like a girl on her first date kind of flustered. Pink cheeks, flustered. I mean what kind of intimacy is that? Something most of us can relate to! Are you "praying" this intimately with Him? Is He touching your heartstrings like a lover? Do you feel the same intimacy with your Maker as you do your boy or girl friend, or spouse--at least in the good ol' days when you were newlyweds! Hopefully, you are still in that wonderful stage--but I digress.
In the Chumash the commentary says, "Finally, Isaac brought [Rebekah] to his mother's tent, and there it became apparent that she was a fitting successor to Sarah, for the holy presence of Sarah returned to the tent of her son, It was then that Isaac loved her..."
Sarah means princess. The Jews see her as a princess of their people...maybe more like a queen. The Chumash seems to make her into a saint in the above quote when they talk about her "holy presence" in the tent. A bit creepy. Kind of like making love in your in-laws bedroom... But my point today is that Sarah does, in a sense, bequeath her royalty to Rebekah. We, too, receive a royalty when we become a child of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
So, whethter you are a male or female, prince or princess, we are going to wed the Prince of Peace. Shouldn't we be doing a lot of kissing?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Isaac and Rebekah-A Picture of Jesus and His Bride
The book is heavy. It is bound in a dark blue leather. The sides of the pages shine, slick and golden. It is read from left to right. It is called the Chumash: the five books of Moses.
I discovered a similar copy at my dear friend's house. In awe I opened the beautiful tome and wondered at the Hebrew text that fill the right side pages. The left side translation was my mother tongue, my heart language. It was the scriptures I knew from childhood, but through a distinctively Jewish lens. I had to have a copy of my own. I used a gift card from a student which didn't cover the entire price... I believe it is worth every penny.
So today I read my favorite Bible Story (or at least Torah story,) how Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, goes to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham had just taken Isaac with him to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. We know that God halted him with knife flashing in mid-air, ready to slice his "son, his only son," 's throat. We know that God provided the ram in a nearby bush that "just happened" to be there. What I learned today is that in Jewish tradition (unlike in the old movies like The Bible,) Isaac was 37 years old! [...which is a good age to find a wife. My husband was that age when he married me!]
God knew Abraham was devoted to him because he was going to sacrifice his "son, his only son," even though he had waited almost 100 years for him! And here begins the great analogies that give us life and grace today: Abraham now knew how God would feel a couple of thousand years later.
Here's where it gets interesting.
Abraham calls Eliezer to him to send him to his brother's house to get a wife from his own people for Isaac. Here the Jewish commentary says: (and there is a LOT of commentary!) when the text says "lay your hand on my thigh and swear that you will do this," thigh refers to his "loins" (euphemism for penis.) So, I'm thinkin' woah, Abraham, this is really serious! But it doesn't seem to phase good ol' Eliezer. He promises, he goes back to Haran, where Abraham came from and looks for a kind girl, one who will not only think of his but of his camels' welfare.
To me the analogy began to flow. Jesus, God's son, His only son, has a forerunner, Isaac. God wants a bride for His son! He sends his servant, one who is willing to believe for the best, and look for the best possible wife. Do you see Believers here as Eliezer, the servant who has traveled a long way to find the Bride for God's Son Jesus?
Throughout the Scriptures God has painted picture after picture of His plan of salvation for His lost. My pastor friend preached a great sermon about that last Sunday when I visited the Vineyard. I have gone 2 weeks in a row just to hear these sermons on Loss (going through quite a bit of that now.) Here's the link to these great messages: http://houstonvineyard.org/podcasts/feed.xml Restoring God's Loss 7/18/11.
Back to Isaac/Jesus and Rebekah/the Church, the Bride of Christ--we are both Eliezer, the servant. when we seek to introduce others to Jesus; and we are Rebekah, the bride, once we accept the Son.
When Isaac saw Rebekah from afar off, he had been "supplicating"--praying, waiting for his wife to be brought to him. She "inclined" which the commentaries say means leaned towards him (from atop her camel) and put on her veil, preparing herself for him.
"Then he took her into his tent, and made her his wife." They knew each other intimately. Precious and beautiful, don't you think? Even if you are a guy, you could get that part if you see it from Jesus'/Isaac's point of view.
More on this later...
I discovered a similar copy at my dear friend's house. In awe I opened the beautiful tome and wondered at the Hebrew text that fill the right side pages. The left side translation was my mother tongue, my heart language. It was the scriptures I knew from childhood, but through a distinctively Jewish lens. I had to have a copy of my own. I used a gift card from a student which didn't cover the entire price... I believe it is worth every penny.
So today I read my favorite Bible Story (or at least Torah story,) how Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, goes to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham had just taken Isaac with him to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. We know that God halted him with knife flashing in mid-air, ready to slice his "son, his only son," 's throat. We know that God provided the ram in a nearby bush that "just happened" to be there. What I learned today is that in Jewish tradition (unlike in the old movies like The Bible,) Isaac was 37 years old! [...which is a good age to find a wife. My husband was that age when he married me!]
God knew Abraham was devoted to him because he was going to sacrifice his "son, his only son," even though he had waited almost 100 years for him! And here begins the great analogies that give us life and grace today: Abraham now knew how God would feel a couple of thousand years later.
Here's where it gets interesting.
Abraham calls Eliezer to him to send him to his brother's house to get a wife from his own people for Isaac. Here the Jewish commentary says: (and there is a LOT of commentary!) when the text says "lay your hand on my thigh and swear that you will do this," thigh refers to his "loins" (euphemism for penis.) So, I'm thinkin' woah, Abraham, this is really serious! But it doesn't seem to phase good ol' Eliezer. He promises, he goes back to Haran, where Abraham came from and looks for a kind girl, one who will not only think of his but of his camels' welfare.
To me the analogy began to flow. Jesus, God's son, His only son, has a forerunner, Isaac. God wants a bride for His son! He sends his servant, one who is willing to believe for the best, and look for the best possible wife. Do you see Believers here as Eliezer, the servant who has traveled a long way to find the Bride for God's Son Jesus?
Throughout the Scriptures God has painted picture after picture of His plan of salvation for His lost. My pastor friend preached a great sermon about that last Sunday when I visited the Vineyard. I have gone 2 weeks in a row just to hear these sermons on Loss (going through quite a bit of that now.) Here's the link to these great messages: http://houstonvineyard.org/podcasts/feed.xml Restoring God's Loss 7/18/11.
Back to Isaac/Jesus and Rebekah/the Church, the Bride of Christ--we are both Eliezer, the servant. when we seek to introduce others to Jesus; and we are Rebekah, the bride, once we accept the Son.
When Isaac saw Rebekah from afar off, he had been "supplicating"--praying, waiting for his wife to be brought to him. She "inclined" which the commentaries say means leaned towards him (from atop her camel) and put on her veil, preparing herself for him.
"Then he took her into his tent, and made her his wife." They knew each other intimately. Precious and beautiful, don't you think? Even if you are a guy, you could get that part if you see it from Jesus'/Isaac's point of view.
More on this later...
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