Stable

I’m a farm girl so for me, “stable” brings to mind our big red barn that has sheltered cattle, sheep, swine, horses, chickens, cats and dogs in the 150 plus years it has existed. Stable can also mean something that is firmly fixed or a sensible person. In the medical world it means something that is not deteriorating. I had neck-down scans on Friday, June 16 that show I am not deteriorating, at least due to cancer, from the neck down. I have 6 healing rib fractures. The newest ones are likely from my big fall. (Yikes! I knew that one really hurt.) I took the Amtrak train down the night before my scans and was able to catch the train home soon after the tests were done. I retrieved the CT scan results from My Chart on the way home. The bone scan results uploaded on Monday.

June 20 was my 67th cancer treatment. I drove myself down and back the same day for that one.

There really should be a rule that, once you have MBC, there are no other problems in your life. Alas, that is far from the case for me. Those stories involve others so I will just ask for all your prayers for my family. We are in great need of them.

I began Beth Moore’s “Align: 31 Days of Prayer Aligned with God’s Desires” on July 1. I had started to feel like God wasn’t listening to me. While not true in any way, I am trying to shift my prayer strategy to focusing on God’s interests instead of mine. Oh, I’m still pouring my heart out to God for help with my family, but I am also expanding my prayers to deliberately look more at the needs outside my small part of the world to include humankind. Today I read Luke Chapter 2 to look for ways to shape my prayers. I was not very optimistic going into the reading that I would find much in the story of the birth of Jesus. Yet, two verses stuck out as though they were in a bold font waiting for me to read them. Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured up these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:51 “…But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” God certainly understands mothers. I pray for blessings for all mothers (by birth or other) who treasure their children yet have hearts filled with fear and uncertainty. Help them to turn those children over to God since God is the most loving parent for them.

Today’s devotion said, “As you trust and obey God, he will either deliver you from your affliction or give you a testimony like Joseph’s: God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. “ May it be so.