Over the past nine months I have written on my IPAD notebook lessons I learned at that given moment. Here they are, in order of being written...
1. Every one has some part of their heart that is fragile, not just people with cancer. Everyone is fighting some battle. Be encouraging to everyone.
2. The saying isn't 'God never gives you more than you can handle.'
It is 'God can handle anything you have.' and He always wins.
3. Choose joy.
4. Do not let the fear horses out of the stable.
5. Jesus will provide for all your needs, even the ones You don't realize you have.
6. It is okay to take care yourself.
7. I need a community.
Figure out a way, your way, to stay close to Jesus. To stay connected to God. When Mom died, M said I glowed. And I felt amazingly peaceful. B said she never felt more alive than when she was going through chemo. Jesus is right here, He is as real as a rock. He is as solid as the chair i am sitting on. So are the prayers of friends. He is abiding in me. I don't want this part to change! This is why some people go to mass every day, to stay connected. I know prayer and bible reading time gets shoved smaller and becomes non existent when I am healthy. I don't want that to happen ever again. God will show me the way.
Remember to thank Jesus for his healing every day, from my toes on up, healing by the blood of the lamb who was slain for me. Healing by the Grace of God.
Don't shy away from people offering you gifts, kind words, opening up to you.
Never refuse a cup of hot tea, especially if it is peppermint.
Heal me God that I might do your will, to your glory, for the rest of my life. From Fr Jim Holbeck sermon online.
Each day, even during chemo and radiation, will be a beautiful day!
Trust God will tell me every step of the way.
I need Jesus.
Busy isn't the goal. If you don't want to be too busy, you won't be. It is your choice. You have a choice.
God will be there in my future. Don't fear it.
Don't let that sun set on your anger. Forgive. Forgive completely, without reservations.
Apologize. As far as is possible, be at peace with everyone. Love them. Pray for them.
Meditate every day.
Choose who you spend your time with. Choose carefully, for you will become like them.
Hang up the superwoman cape. I can't do everything.
Choose to do good. If you know something is wrong, just DON"T DO IT. Don't be tempted, don't rationalize. If you dance too close to the fire, you will get burned at some point. Believe me, doing the right thing and loving unconditionally is far more wild and crazy and fun than choosing the shadows.
Search for people, places, things and events to nourish your soul. It's the only part of you that is eternal.
Take the time to love yourself, so that then, from the overflow, you can spill out love on others.
Live with integrity. What is integrity? Keep your promises. Speak truth. Admit mistakes right away.
Live transparently.
Seek a relationship with God with your whole heart. Being in a community of Christians makes it a lot easier. We are meant to live in community.
Religion is man-made. When you hear something religious, just make sure it holds up under the light of "God is Love."
You have time to do everything that is important to you. Once in awhile, do a self-check and see where you spend most your time, what is important to you.
People who love generously will always feel loved, at some point.
Don't repeatedly tell God your same problems or worries. Tell them to him once or a few times, then live trusting and thanking Him for his answer, even before you see it.
Do not be afraid of darkness. In it you will find your light, and your light will be clearer than ever.
I am one grain of sand on the beach.
Being still is the most exciting part of my day.
Keep your focus on God. All day long.
Sent from my iPad
Showing posts with label thanks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanks. Show all posts
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
This makes me happy....
Dear Mrs. Sitz’s Third Grade Class,
Hello to each and every one of you, all 17 of you!
You were so kind to write out 33 messages to make me feel better, one for each radiation treatment. Thank you!
I go to the hospital every day to get radiation treatment (like strong, strong rays of sunshine). This is the final step in my healing from breast cancer, and I am so glad it is working.
Your messages about what makes you happy caused me to stop and think, WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY? I like to sit in a chair and just think sometimes, so I have been thinking about this today. I sit in a chair outside (if it isn’t too hot or too cold) and drink a cup of green tea, and think.
I thought up 17 things that make me happy, now how did I come up with that number?
I hope you each had a fun Thanksgiving holiday. I am thankful to you for making me smile.
All the best, Sara Whiting
======================================================
This makes me happy….
1. Knowing that God loves me. He loves all of us.
2. Being with my loving husband Mike. We met in college (at Princeton) and got married three weeks after graduating. We both worked for Dow Chemical in Texas at first, building chemical plants that make plastics. Then we moved to Florida. He works building electric power plants.
3. Spending time with my younger son Corey. He is in college at UCF studying Computer Programming. I particularly love when he comes to the house and we do yoga together.
4. Visiting with my older son Mack and my daughter-in-law Tray. They live in Asheville NC so I don’t see them too often right now. He is in college studying Chemistry. She is studying to be a nurse.
5. Talking with my friends. I am so lucky to have some really good friends who come to the house to visit, or who meet me for lunch at PF Changs or coffee at Starbucks, or who go for a walk with me.
6. Reading a book (I’m reading Freedom by Jon Franzen now)
7. Writing on my IPAD or laptop computer.
8. Singing anywhere (I like Trace Adkins and Carrie Underwood and Black Eyed Peas and Bob Marley and Elton John and Coldplay and Casting Crowns and Usher and, well, lots of singers!)
9. Playing tennis
10. Playing golf
11. Cooking. I love to cook. I just made Black Bean Soup and Bruschetta (garlic toast with fresh tomato, basil, onion on it). Yesterday I made a strawberry pie.
12. Sitting on my porch looking at the lake, and thinking
13. Working at the baseball league. I help run a college summer baseball league.
14. Walking my dog in our neighborhood. She’s a basset hound, named Sporty.
15. Playing games, like Scrabble or Blokus or card games.
16. Traveling. I love to see new places. Some of my favorites are Ireland (loved the golf, sheep, and music), Costa Rica (hermit crabs on the beach!), Jamaica (beautiful mountains dropping straight down to white sand beaches), Sun Valley Idaho (desert mountains, spectacular views), Italy (great food and art!).
17. Thanking people. Each of you took time and thought to write to me and cheer me up. It makes me so happy to think of that, and to thank you!
Hello to each and every one of you, all 17 of you!
You were so kind to write out 33 messages to make me feel better, one for each radiation treatment. Thank you!
I go to the hospital every day to get radiation treatment (like strong, strong rays of sunshine). This is the final step in my healing from breast cancer, and I am so glad it is working.
Your messages about what makes you happy caused me to stop and think, WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY? I like to sit in a chair and just think sometimes, so I have been thinking about this today. I sit in a chair outside (if it isn’t too hot or too cold) and drink a cup of green tea, and think.
I thought up 17 things that make me happy, now how did I come up with that number?
I hope you each had a fun Thanksgiving holiday. I am thankful to you for making me smile.
All the best, Sara Whiting
======================================================
This makes me happy….
1. Knowing that God loves me. He loves all of us.
2. Being with my loving husband Mike. We met in college (at Princeton) and got married three weeks after graduating. We both worked for Dow Chemical in Texas at first, building chemical plants that make plastics. Then we moved to Florida. He works building electric power plants.
3. Spending time with my younger son Corey. He is in college at UCF studying Computer Programming. I particularly love when he comes to the house and we do yoga together.
4. Visiting with my older son Mack and my daughter-in-law Tray. They live in Asheville NC so I don’t see them too often right now. He is in college studying Chemistry. She is studying to be a nurse.
5. Talking with my friends. I am so lucky to have some really good friends who come to the house to visit, or who meet me for lunch at PF Changs or coffee at Starbucks, or who go for a walk with me.
6. Reading a book (I’m reading Freedom by Jon Franzen now)
7. Writing on my IPAD or laptop computer.
8. Singing anywhere (I like Trace Adkins and Carrie Underwood and Black Eyed Peas and Bob Marley and Elton John and Coldplay and Casting Crowns and Usher and, well, lots of singers!)
9. Playing tennis
10. Playing golf
11. Cooking. I love to cook. I just made Black Bean Soup and Bruschetta (garlic toast with fresh tomato, basil, onion on it). Yesterday I made a strawberry pie.
12. Sitting on my porch looking at the lake, and thinking
13. Working at the baseball league. I help run a college summer baseball league.
14. Walking my dog in our neighborhood. She’s a basset hound, named Sporty.
15. Playing games, like Scrabble or Blokus or card games.
16. Traveling. I love to see new places. Some of my favorites are Ireland (loved the golf, sheep, and music), Costa Rica (hermit crabs on the beach!), Jamaica (beautiful mountains dropping straight down to white sand beaches), Sun Valley Idaho (desert mountains, spectacular views), Italy (great food and art!).
17. Thanking people. Each of you took time and thought to write to me and cheer me up. It makes me so happy to think of that, and to thank you!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Bridge that Carried you Over
Praise the bridge that carried you over George Colman (1762 - 1836)Dear dear friends and family,
The entire country is thinking about giving thanks, how cool is that?
What am I thankful for?
You guys.
For faithful friends who pray for me and encourage me and are part of what is good about the moment.
For opening up your hearts, being honest, looking towards the future with me. And for seeing it bathed in sunlight!
For your laughter and your kindnesses. So many kindnesses.
The quote above by George Colman shows me a little more how to be thankful for everything, which is a directive I read so many times throughout the bible.
"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5
Everything that happens to us, and everyone we interact with, make us who we are right now. Sometimes they are the bridge that carries us over, sometimes they are the lesson we needed to learn, sometimes they are the impetus to redirect our lives (Bernie Siegel), sometimes they are the flame that refines us.
What else am I thankful for?
That God loves me, and you. No conditions, He loves us.
That God is always with us.
For Mike, Mack, Tray, Corey and all my family.
For you my friends.
For my new church, which I am getting to know.
For all the healing, by God's grace and with help from medicine of all areas.
For my circumstance in life, what a gift.
For having had cancer, as it made me be still, look to God, and get back on the path.
I wish you all a festive time today. Here's a Psalm of praise, if you wish to read it. I need to read psalms to God, to get the praise thoughts verbalized, and this is a good one.
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Email responses
------
There has never even been one nanosecond in my mind that you couldn't do this also. You are SO SURVIVING. With everyone around to lean on for strength, and for God's strength, oohyeah! Will pray for your remainder of the week to go quickly and with great healing hands with you every minute!
--------
To be honest, your e-mail made me cry this AM. I am praying for you, as you would like. Your optimism makes me feel better. Isn't it always nice that we can think about something else, i.e. the street lights. At least for a second to give our mind a break from our worries.
---------
Praying for you. I think the issue with the street lights is due to Mike's electrifying personality. Love you, health just keeps coming towards you.
-----------
You continue in my prayers and thoughts. U and I were talking about you and Mike last evening. I am sure you felt our good thoughts and words coming your way. Your strength, focus on the positive and faith will get you through #5, and your family and friends will make it all easier. And you have ONLY ONE LEFT!!
Bravery and positive thinking, Two things that I am sure have and will continue to get you through with flying colors to beat the cancer out of every single place it may want to hide or stay.
----------
My prayers and all good thoughts are with you today Sara and may the grace of God and peace of God that surpasses all of our understanding, be with you throughout the day and provide you with that inner peace that will see you through it all.......
---------------
Here's a photo of a labyrinth newly created in a dear friend's yard in CT. She walked it lifting me up for healing!
(commenting on Mike putting out street lights) My first guess is that Mike is so full of (God's) light, he doesn't need electricity! :)
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
----------
I will be diligent in keeping you in my prayers -- thereby keeping you forefront in God's heart.
----------
We're praying for you and you'll do GREAT!!!
---------
Your strength and spirits sound UP!
I love the 23 Psalm. It has always been one of my favorites since a very young age. I hope our sons have committed it to memory but I don't think they had to memorize as we did at an early age. (Test them - LOL) Your comments about it are perfect! We are praying for you and Mike.
---------
I am praying for you both right now – LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
---------
I have been praying for you today and then so enjoyed getting your email. God definitely has a plan for you to do awesome things!
I now know specifically what prayers are needed for you and Mike which always makes it a bit more personal to me...God already knows : ) . I do hope that you have a much easier time with your chemo.
---------
Just a note to say we are thinking of you. Yesterday we were in church. Our youngest son E was with us, he is 8 years old. I remember when I was diagnosed with cancer I felt very emotional in church as I felt such a strong peace that God truly had His arms around me. E spent about 5 extra minutes on his knees after communion. After church I asked him if he was praying for his grandmother (who was with us and has a chronic illness) the whole time. He said "no, other people too, like Sara Whiting".
---------
Your name came up during a conversation between friends at the beach recently and I wanted to send you a note and let you know you are in our prayers for a speedy recovery!!!
---------
I hope yesterday’s chemo #5 went well and please know that I’m thinking about you and praying for nos. 1, 2 and 3 on your email yesterday!!! I know in my heart that the chemo is doing its job and that God is protecting your bone marrow, nervous system and heart!!! I’ll be lifting you and Mike up to Him today and every day until you’re well!!
---------
I hope yesterday’s chemo #5 went well and please know that I’m thinking about you and praying for nos. 1, 2 and 3 on your email yesterday!!! I know in my heart that the chemo is doing its job and that God is protecting your bone marrow, nervous system and heart!!! I’ll be lifting you and Mike up to Him today and every day until you’re well!!
---------
I know you are putting up a fierce battle when you are not around, and I know when you reach that finish line, it will be one of the most glorious days of your life.
-------
In my crazy brain I have a jillion random sentences for you, that I have yet to pen.Here is one, After reading, actually, while reading one of your blog posts the Lord had me singing the song " I need Thee every hour" an old and simple hymn that speaks of our need for Him.
I see the Holy Spirit imparting His peace, courage and strength to you. Such a lovely way to bring Him glory.
---------
First I had a dream about you last night. I don't know what it was, but it was long and we spent so much time together. I can't help but think it's because you are on my mind and your name is on the white board I have in my office that helps me be a little more organized with my prayers.
---------
On the flamingos:
HOW CUTE! I say leave them up so you can smile every time you come home.
Lunch was fun and you look wonderful. WOW – I love it. Just make sure that they don’t leave too much “Flamingo Dirt” on the lawn….it is heck getting it off the espadrilles!
------
------
I'm so glad to hear you are through with CHEMO #5. I continue to pray for you and Mike and know in my heart that you will be okay. I believe you will be healed of this disease. I believe the love you and Mike have for each other and the love you have of the Lord will get you through anything.
It sounds like you have quite a few friends who keep you active. You are indeed a blessed woman. I agree with you on the 23rd Psalm. It is actually the first thing I memorized from the Bible.
Any way, you and Mike take care of yourselves and each other and I will keep you both in my prayers. May God be with you and Bless you Always!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)