Update: Chemo 9 & Reflections-Abundant LIFE in the midst of

And the count down to completion of chemo treatments continues...God blessed me to receive treatment #9 on Thursday-more treatments behind me than in front of me. This time prior to chemo I was introduced to a new oncologist that was brought on board to assist with patient care as the oncologist I was seeing has taken on some different roles and responsibilities within the organization which allows less time for seeing patients. I'm really thankful for the new doctor though-very personable and highly spoken of. She did an exam on me and seemed pleased with the progress so far. I'm also still on the daily does of Tamoxifen (the anti-estrogen)-God is still keeping me:-) This time a nurse who I knew but had never seen working in the chemo area accessed my port. I told my daddy when I saw her walking towards me, I was thinking idk about her accessing my port-I've never seen her back here and don't know if she knows what she's doing lol-and you know I was not trying to be the guinea pig but she did a good job. She's one of the nurses that they can place anywhere help is needed. As usual I enjoyed my daddy-daughter time-laughing, talking, soaking up wisdom, and playing flow as a team on his notebook (I always get name mixed up-i-pad type device-yal know what I'm talking about though-lol). This time I did not get delirious afterwards but I was pretty wiped out energy wise. After we grabbed something to eat, I vegged out on my futon for a while. God blessed me to get a short nap in while sitting up (didn't want to lay down because I didn't want digestion to be hindered) and I remember thinking about a couple stops I needed to make before day 2 of the music and fine arts workshop that evening. Sometimes we have to push past the way we feel-this was definitely one of those times but God is faithful. Not only did He bless me to make the stops I needed to make but by the time I got to church He had given me a second wind-His grace is SUFFICIENT-not some of the time but ALL the time. The last time we had a guest clinician at my church was for our annual candlelight worship service. I remember being limited to sitting in and observing from the audience but thankful to be able to do that-that was back in December. Since then God has blessed me to get back in the choir and to be able to participate in the music and fine arts workshop in the choir and in my spot (back row, altos ;-)) I really feel a shift-God is not only restoring but lifting me even higher and blessing me to experience life more abundantly than before the diagnosis-from spiritual growth, to new people He's bringing into my life, to the book He blessed me to get published and that I've already had to start a new order list for just two weeks after getting in my 1st shipment of 300 books. As my daddy says, God just keeps on doing GREAT things! God's Grace, God's Grace, God's GRACE! I was sharing with someone the other day that God has brought so much good out of what He's taking me through-I don't look at this experience-this part of my journey as a negative thing. One of the questions that God placed on my heart in preparation for last Saturday's Single's Real Talk, is whether or not it is possible to experience abundant life-enjoying life to the full while we're yet going through and in the midst of a "storm". The answer is a resounding YES! John 16:33 where Jesus warns us that in this life we're going to have to go through some stuff-we will have trouble but to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world and John 10:10 where Jesus says that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly, go hand in hand. Our going through; our storms do not silence God's voice; God still speaks in the midst of the storm, we still have God's presence in the midst of the storm. The storm does not change who God is and it cannot not limit Him in any way. The storm does not make us ineligible to be used by Him, and it surely does not mean that He loves us any less. Romans 8:28 still stands-God's word still stands and is not nullified by the trials and the hardships of this life. Glory to God in the HIGHEST!