Reflections & Radiation Treatment Update

It's been a busy but BLESSED week. It's a blessing to be able to be busy-not just running around for the sake of running around but busy and running with purpose. God takes us through things in this life not for our destruction but for our good. Sometimes He's got to add some "serious" heat, other times a storm that won't seem to go away and then as the Best Husbandman/Master Gardener that there ever was and ever will be, He prunes us. Are the situations, circumstances and afflictions that He uses pretty, pleasant or appealing? rarely BUT that's why it's so important to walk by faith and not by sight. The situation will try to scare us but FAITH trusts God when He says, "be not afraid." The affliction may say, "I'm too much for you; I'm not going anywhere"; why do you continue to fight?" but FAITH says, "I'm not alone-my God will NEVER leave me nor forsake me, wherever I am He's right there with me" "In all things I've learned to be content...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"; "I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me." FAITH says yes I'm in this season for now but it won't always be this way." I'm still in this battle but God is still marching me right on through with a smile on my face-God is just Good like that! I know this journey is nothing compared to Job's journey but I'm reminded of how God subtracted, but He didn't leave Job in that condition. There was a point where He began to restore and to add more to Job more than what He had going into that trial. He looked better on the back end then he did on the front in. We say we want spiritual growth, we want to be closer to God, we want a deeper relationship with Him, and we want all that He has for us, but in order to achieve those things, God is going to have to take us through some fire, some storms and He's going to have to prune us and it's not just one and done BUT we can rejoice in the purpose and in the fact that God is at work in our lives, and that He loves us that much and that He's with us. Yes He'll do some subtracting but as with Job there's a season of restoration and increase, if we will trust God and persevere in the strength that flows from Him. God has already began to restore and give increase even in the midst of this battle as He we continue on toward "cancer free." From the something as simple as my hair growing back steadily, to my first time back in the choir stand this week-choir rehearsal with the women's chorus, to the first big mentor/mentee event since the adjustments that had to be made following my very first chemo treatment-being a part of that program is one of my favorite things about my job-in addition to getting to see me mentee and my other adopted mentees-we were all excited to see eachother, I was blessed to conversate with another mentee who's mentor was not able to be there. Then there's the restoration of physical strength-pretty close to lifting as heavy as I was lifting prior to chemo and the surgeries, out and about running around (not quite at the level I was before but still quite a bit more than I had been able to lately). In the way of increase, the testimony that God has already given me thus far, the special project that I mentioned in the previous post. What a Mighty Good God; What an AWESOME God we serve. Yesterday God blessed me to recieve radiation treatment #13, which was the last of the first phase of radiation. The treatment fields for the next 12 are shifted slightly from the first phase-junction shift. To prepare for this 2nd phase, instead of receivng radiation this morning as I usually would, the tech conducted a mock verification-like what she did the day before my first radiation treatment-took x-rays, outlined the fields on my skin with a marker and took pics for the dr. to review-it's basically a dry run so the dr. can confirm that the areas that she has prescribed in my radiation treatment plan would have been treated had it been the real thing. The tech cannot start the next phase of radiation prior to the dr's review and approval. As before, I'm glad I didn't have to be out in public aside from work and visiting too much today because some of the outlined field is visible-lol. I'm thankful I've not experienced any of the "sunburn" type side effect from the radiation treatments. I thank God for continuing to keep me, for His GOODNESS, GRACE, and MERCY.