Imagine my surprise a few hours later when I checked my e-mail only to find a message from my friend Sheri about MORE MEALS! She said she felt led to extend meals for us until my fatigue was gone. She had asked Angela P. from MOPS to add a few more days on the "Take Them A Meal" site and send it out again. REALLY??!!! WOW!!! I thought my blurry eyes were deceiving me.
I had just told the ladies at radiation a few hours earlier that the thought of having to cook dinner every night again was already wearing me out! Every afternoon after work, my body screams for a nap. My family wants to eat; I want to sleep.
But my immediate thought was, "Lord, there are so many other people who are dealing with circumstances WAAYYY worse than mine. I do not deserve this. And I know the ladies who keep getting e-mails about preparing meals for me have to be sick and tired of seeing my name!!!" God's response, "Let them do this for you. You know this REALLY is NOT all about you! I am at work here on so many levels. Don't protest. Just accept."
I was too tired to tell Him, "But Lord, I'm used to GIVING the help, not RECEIVING it! I feel guilty. I am so blessed, and there are so many others in desperate need. I need to be helping others instead of being helped."
Imagine my even bigger surprise on Tuesday morning when I clicked on an e-mail reminder from "Take Them A Meal" (I get a message reminding me a day or 2 in advance who is bringing a meal and when they are coming) and I discovered meals would be coming 4 TIMES a week! WHAT??!!! In the past, Angela had set it up for 2 days a week. This time it is 4 TIMES A WEEK!!! I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. I started to fill in the open days with my own name saying we have dinner covered, but God said, "Don't protest. Just accept." BUT LORD.....
Oh, I know God is at work! And I can't wait to share with you how He is using these meals! It looks like I'll have to wait a few more weeks though. The meals are scheduled until the end of this month.
Speaking of meals and my friend Sheri, she and her precious daughter K brought over dinner on Monday. THANK YOU SHERI!!!
On Tuesday, Muriel brought over a homecooked meal she and her 90 year old mother had made together! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!
These green beans were snapped with lots of love by Muriel's mother!
On Wednesday, I get a text from Sheri saying she had food for me from Angela P. What? It's not on the schedule! LOL! In my head I heard, "Don't protest. Don't ask questions. Just accept." Yes, Lord. Apparently, there was a MOPS meeting (I am assuming it was MOPS - possibly a leadership meeting) and Angela had the left over food and flowers given to us!!! I am about to eat some of it right now for lunch!
On Thursday, Barbara prepared a wonderful Italian meal. She has made the mistake of telling me she LOVES to cook. How rude will it be for me to just show up at her house around dinner time once or twice a week??!!! THANK YOU BARBARA!!!
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In my family, birthdays are a big deal. However this year, I was so tired, it didn't really feel like my birthday, and all I wanted was to have NOTHING to do! As I started to write this post though, I realized how God had let me have mini celebrations for several days instead of just one big celebration on my actual birthday! Isn't He amazing??!!!
*My mom and I went to see Mandesa, a Christian singer, and Antia Renfroe, a Christian comedian, at "Girls Night Out." My sister in law & her mom were invited too, but they couldn't make it. We laughed & cried & danced & worshipped our God! It was a lot of fun.
*My friend Tina took me out for an early dinner. It was so good to catch up and laugh with her too. Our waiter was glad
*Part of my family took me out for lunch. The other part took me out for dinner. Sorry no pictures, it was raining & I left my camera in my car. But, I do have a picture of the card my sister Nicole gave me. I will be framing this!
*On my actual birthday, my friend Sheri signed up to bring us dinner that night. She was willing to feed us whatever I wanted. I opted for pizza & wings at home in my pjs!
It was early when we ate and the kids still wanted to play outside. So, instead of having them put their pjs on, everyone just came to the table in their bedroom shoes!
And Sheri made me a TREE that was bearing FRUIT!!! THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIEND! Tears - seriously! That was so special!!!
Oh and I can't forget my secret flower delivery either!
At 6:55pm, I laid on the couch to rest my eyes, and IT WAS OVER! My sweet daughter tucked me in when it was her bedtime 2 hours later! I was so tired.
*I received lots of meaningful cards from friends - even 2 friends from where I used to live who I haven't seen in 7 years. My friend Cindy also got me a tree card where she wrote treasured words on the inside, along with a journal and a gift card to Michael's so I can get started on that memory/scrapbook God wants me to do about Africa. She's making sure I follow through - what a FANTASTIC FRIEND! And Faye, I will share about your card in my next post.
*Lastly, since we moved into our house a year & 8 months ago, I have wanted Scripture on our walls. About 3 months ago, my friend Nancy B. told me about the
Two weeks ago on a Thursday, I got spring fever and wanted to do some things around my house. I also got frustrated because after nearly 2 years, Scripture was still not on my walls. I took a break to eat lunch and sat down to look up something on the computer while I ate. Out of the blue, I thought about the Cricut machine and decided to price them on Craig's List and E-bay. Once I discovered how to spell it correctly, I did some research. I found out the retail price and the Craig's List/E-bay prices. All of them were more than I had to spend. So, I moved on.
That afternoon on the way to radiation, I had to stop by Michael's in Pineville to pick up some supplies for my son's school project. (I had gone to Michael's the day before in RH but gotten the wrong size materials.) There was a lady doing some serious shopping in front of the supplies I needed in Michael's. I did not want her to feel rushed so I decided to go look around and come back in a few minutes.
As I walked down the next aisle just perusing, something caught my eye. It was a Cricut machine! I picked up the box and began reading about it, etc. Then something else caught my eye. It was a SALE tag. The Cricut was on sale!!! It was 60% off retail and 20% off of Craig's List/E-bay prices! I could not believe it! It was actually in double digits not triple digits!!! I was so excited! I prayed about it and then sent my husband a text. He said he would buy the Cricut for my birthday/end of radiation gift!
I know this was orchestrated by God! This is how He works! He brought the Cricut machine to my mind during lunch. He had me research it that day, after learning how to spell it correctly first! He had me walk down the Cricut aisle in Michael's because it was on sale. Why? Because He knows my heart's desire is to have HIS WORD on the walls of my house ministering to me and my family and anyone else who walks through our front door.
"Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and He will give you the desires of your heart."
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:3-4
Jesus said, “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him." Matthew 7:9-11
Now, I have to pray for wisdom to figure out how to use the machine!
Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy
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