Why I let the elephant visit

Do you have to wonder why I let the elephant sit on my chest??? They are 2 very good reasons.... The smiles are usually there but these particular ones are from being in our favorite spot... the beach!!!

The elephant is still shrinking and I am going to work a little tomorrow... Christmas open house is this weekend at a friend's antique shop.. And since I am a great "FLUFFER" (what ever that is) I am going to go "FLUFF" the shop for the season.. Deck the Halls and all that...

More about the journey: A friend sent me a great devotion the day after my surgery... Called the "Isolation Chamber" by Os Hillman. In it he talked about sometimes we are put in these places(where I am right now) by the Lord for us to wait... WAIT on HIM!!! The scripture is that same one that keeps popping up..."Be still and know that I am GOD"... Do you see a pattern??? He talked about how the stillness can be disturbing and that we may not understand the why we are there... but know that the who of why we are there is trying to teach us something... I live a very planned and carefully delegated life... GOD was ready to throw out my day planner and do it HIMSELF... Thank you, Lord. I may not "get it" but I am willing to try. Here I am---Teach me...

I was talking with a friend today about my new pace... I said that I was moving a little slow right now and he laughed and said..."You are now at about the pace of a normal person." YIKES!!! I am beginning to see what GOD is up to.... He needs me to slow down to hear HIM... I may not be at "normal" pace for awhile... but, that is ok..... I am moving toward my "new normal" everyday

Watch for shrinking elephants... 

Shrinking Elephants

Today was one of those days that has gone on forever!!! It is Sunday and my guys all went to church... then tonight they have gone to the church's fall festival... And me.. well, here I sit!!! I really feel better and am ready to "get about" .... HOWEVER.... the man of the house is not letting me... I do appreciate that he is taking care of me and all that... but , for a busy bee like me!! UGGGG! Sitting still is not the norm - not even the occasional!!! I know, I know.. GOD said "be still and know" ---I am working on that one...

My sweet boys are being really so helpful. They are your typical "momma does everything for me and I expect that" kind of boys... but, I really have been amazed at how they CAN do things for themselves.. The boys are 6 (& 1/2) and 9(& 1/2) --don't forget the 1/2s!!! I have really done a good job of caring for their EVERY WHEM and WISH!!! "a daughter-in-law's dream" HAHAHAHA!!!!! But, when they are cute and loving like mine... it is too hard not to over do for them... It is all in love!! They are showing it right back now... They are helping and not complaining too much...

As for the "BIG GUY" in my life... he is the best... I could write an entire day about him and not scratch the surface... He loves me- elephants and all... He even has a "sympathetic elephant" on his chest!!! He has been such a trooper... I love him so much... Actually, I loved him (as they say) before I knew him... We were good friends in college and then again after-- when we were in the "real world" but it took me a while to realize that friends can be lovers too...I thought that I had to seperate my life in to bits... Little did I know but GOD had different plans for me and my "POOH!" GOD worked in our relationship from the beginning and WHEW am I glad!! The plans that I had for me... YUCK!! GOD's plans are so much better...

Now, back to the elephants... I was listening to one of my favorite preachers a la television this morning... and he reminded me of my lesson "BE STILL AND KNOW".... He was preaching on the miracle of Jesus when the men lowered the paralyzed man through the roof... He(preacher) reminded me that to heal the physical GOD also has to heal the spiritual... That our sins seperate us from GOD and that He wants to restore that relationship as well as the physical body... I began to think on that and see another layer of this come to the light... GOD has stilled me to a stop for me to heal... first, my spiritual self... to let Him love me and work through me.... At the same time, He is healing my physical... slowly so that I can realize that it is all about HIM... and for me not to get cocky( yep, I could do that) and to give Him all the glory... So, with that though.. me and my little blue elephant are signing off... He is getting smaller but he just moved his tail(it's under my right arm- where they took some lymph nodes) and that is beginning to bother me...

good night- sleep tight ---don't let the elephants bite!!!

Little Blue Elephants

The end of week one of : Life with the Little Blue Elephant

I realized the other day that God wasn't getting my full attention and that He wanted it.. so, what happened... He allowed me to be flattened and not just slowed down but STOPPED!!! By what, you ask... Melanoma... a malignant melanoma! Yikes!!! Just typing to words makes me catch myself... That is something that happens to someone else- not me!! I'm too busy, too young... basically, just don't have time to deal with that...HAHAHA Yes, I do have the time and, YES, I am dealing with it...

Two days ago my fantastic surgeon did what he called a wide excision on the site.. something about "clear margins" ... I call it " the day he introduced me to my "little blue elephant." Either way, GOD is really the one that is working on me and teaching me some very big lessons... I want to tell you about my blue friend... The surgeon told my husband that it might feel like there was an elephant on my chest as I healed and when they did the biopsy they used blue dye... Hence, little blue elephant.. He really isn't so bad- actually, he keeps me company in the middle of the night... And, today, he is definitely smaller than yesterday.

Another thing that I realized is that GOD wants me to share this story with whomever will listen... He has something so big in store for this... I just feel it. Too many prayers have been answered- actually miracles have been performed. GOD is bigger than any of my problems and bigger than the solutions too. If you are out there and don't know HIM... let me tell you that GOD healed me... The prognosis last week was BAD but GOD IS GOOD and I am okay. The mole that was removed was so bad that the doctors just knew that there was cancer somewhere else.. Guess what?? NO WHERE ELSE!!! GOD answers prayers... I do have to do treatment for a while... OKAY!!! Now, I cannot wait to see what GOD is going to do with all of that... How about you?

Stay tuned for more with the little blue elephant...