misc.

this is Chelsea at her friend's house for homecoming. She went with a bunch of friends from school.

I thought I would post this now so as not to overshadow the fact that her brother is turning 13 tomorrow! I will post about him becoming a teen and reflect on the past 13 years. I will also try to include a picture of the birthday boy. Then after that, my friends, you will not hear from me for about 10 days becuase we have a very important event coming up that I am deeply involved in and well...let's just say the final details are needing to be put in place and not a whole lot of sleep will happen.

Until then.....have a great time!

STA

Hi. I'm Ellyn.

Audience responds "Hi Ellyn!"

Wow, this is harder than I thought it was going to be.

I have been addicted for about 2 months now. I can't go one day without it. I wake up in the morning and I think about it. I need it to get going in the morning. I need it again by the time I get to work but I hold off as much as I possibly can. Sometimes I can't get any work done because I am consumed with its thought. I can usually hold off until lunch and then I really have to have it again. That holds me over until I go home. I have some at home, grant it, it is not as good as the mass produced product but it does tied over the craving.

Last night after church, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to have my fix. So I went and found the nearest distributor. I got a large amount-- about 44 oz. worth.

I'm Ellyn and I am addicted to sweet tea from McDonalds. I know I have a problem that is why I am here telling you this. I am hoping that the STA meetings (sweet tea anonymous)will provide me with a sponsor and help me through the withdrawl period until I can make it on my own.

The good news--I have every section san one block in the monopoly game. Maybe if I win 1 million dollars, I can just have my addiction and be rich!

In This Storm

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose.

2 Corinthians. 4:16-18--Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Psalm 42:5 --Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

Psalm 121:1-2--I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Job 1:20-21--At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. [a] The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

Daniel 3:16-18-- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."


Casting Crowns--Praise You In This Storm


I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
And stepped in and saved the day
Once again, I say Amen,
and it is still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
I'm with you
As your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll Praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
You are who you are
No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will Praise You in this storm
I remember whenI stumbled in the wind
You heard my cryYou raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find you

I lift my eyes into the hills
Where does my help come from
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth


Rhonda--email me and I will give you the number
Bob--email me and I will give you the number
Sarah--email me and I will give you the number


I saw Sarah today. She looks great!!! She got a new short haircut so that she wouldn't have stringy long hair as her hair fell out. She is tolerating the chemo well. In fact her blood levels are so good that the dr. has given her 2 days off this week from taking the chemo administered by drip! Praise God!

Sarah met a woman today when taking chemo today. Sarah is going to pray for her to be healed. This woman and her husband go to church but their church is not set up to "take care" of people. Sarah was appalled! This woman was so taken by Sarah that she signed up to take her chemo on friday at the same time as Sarah!

Sarah desperately wants people to know that their focus should not be on her and how she is dealing with this. Their focus should be on God. God is seeing her thru. God is helping her. God is with her.

Sarah told me that if it takes her having cancer to bring people to a relationship with Christ, then so be it. She said bring it on! God is being glorified!

Like the song above.....She knows her help comes from the Lord. She is raising her hands and praising Him in the storm. She also knows that the storm is just starting to brew. She knows with God she WILL get through it, no matter what that means. Sometimes God calms the storms. Sometimes He chooses to ride them with us. No matter what--we praise Him through the storm.

leaving love

some of you have found it and heard about it....


www.caringbridge.org

at the sign in type-- sarahbergquist
You will have to go thru and "register" but then leaver her love. She needs it.

Lord willing in a day or 2. I will be able to give you her pager number. everytime you pray for her-- you call her pager and it will vibrate and she will know that someone just prayed for her!

Cool huh? Thanks Mrs. Shephard for that fantastic idea!

Pray on!

hope--God's doing it again!

Psalm 25:5guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalm 31:24Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD

Psalm 33:18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love

Psalm 33:20We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.


I went again today to see Sarah. She needs hope. We were talking about what we put our hope in.

We hoped it was mono. It was not.
We hoped it was breast cancer. It was not.
We hoped it was lymphoma. It was not.

Gideon put his hope in things other than God. Please read Judges 6 and 7. God proved to him over and over that He was with Gideon. Still Gideon was unsure. Gideon gathered a large army to fight the enemy. God told him. "You don't need them". Gideon didn't understand how he was going to beat the enemy with a small army but still God whittled away his army.

Then God showed up and proved himself in a big way. Gideon's hope was in wet and dry fleece or large numbers of fighting men. God proved him wrong. Gideon's hope needed to be rested firmly in the Lord.

God has shown up for Sarah. She still needs to be reminded of the hope she has in the Lord. We are putting some things into place. I will let you know about them as they come to fruition. Until them, pray for her to put her hope in the Lord. If you get the chance go buy the new cd by Casting Crowns and listen to the song "In the storm".

Have a great weekend everyone.

Perspective and 100th post

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26



So I saw Sarah today. She looked tired but good. She started her chemo last night and then I was there when the nurse brought her tablet chemo. She's doing good. She knows what she is up against. She willing to fight.

I was asked today if I could host our small group meeting this Sunday night. I really really don't want to. Why? Well Friday which is my normal day off, I will need to work...Sat. I am at church from 9-3 in a meeting so that we can figure out our mission, values and vision at good ole FXCC. I am not up for that BUT Sarah was on the team with me and you know what, she would want me there to give my 2 cents on what I htink God calls the church to be. Sunday I am there again at FXCC from 8-5 for various assundry of reasons that all fall under my job title. Small group starts at 6. I was pretty mad when I was asked. I thought why can't other people who are not as busy as me and have Sundays as a work day step up and do this?

I went to see Sarah today and you know what? If she can take chemo that is going to completely tear her apart to fight cancer and live another day, then I can host small group.

This situation puts it all into perspecitve, doesn't it? What Sarah wouldn't give right now to be able to host small group. So come on you 40 people--my carpets will be dirty but you are welcome in my home.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Cor. 4:8-10

God hear our prayers

.... pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective! James 5:16

I am putting a call out to all who read this. My dear friend of 31 years Sarah, has been diagnosed with acute lymphblastic leukemia. The is a cancer of the blood and it is all over her body. She entered the hospital late last night and will start very intense chemo immediately.

In perfect Sarah style, she sent an email out at 4:30 a.m. to her prayer warriors in ladies Bible class. She shared that she is scared but knows that this cancer is NOT bigger than God. She petitioned them to be in prayer for her. That is her strength. Knowing that her fellow christian mothers are lifting her to our Lord daily, if not hourly.

Sarah, is an amazing person. She has 4 children under the age of 9. She is one month younger than me. Yes, she is 37.

O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my (Sarah's ) relief. Psalm 143:1

frightening

So I am watching the Discovery channel show "Cash Cab", which by the way when we are in NYC at thanksgiving...I AM going to find and I AM going to win money. You wanna know why? Even if you don't I am going to tell you....

Cause I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay smarter than those yahoos on that show! My word! Some of the questions they miss are just dumbfounding!! I am now convinced that we have dumbed down Americans. One episode there were 3 men from jolly ole England and they won over $1000 on American trivia!!!

So once I find the Cash Cab among the other 13,000 cabs in NYC--yes that is 1 3 0 0 0! I think I can do it! I am going to kick tushy at this. With my hubby a.k.a. King of useless knowledge and I will win the largest amount ever!

Don't try to be realistic with me. Let me live in my fantasy! I enjoy it there!