Happy Thanksgiving!! We as God's children and Believers have so very much to be thankful for and praise God for! I hope that each one of you enjoyed your time with family and friends. This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Dunlap's here in Colorado and had a wonderful time and awesome meal!! It was fun to just eat and rest the whole day. We did absolutely nothing but just hang together and enjoy each other! This year I am so grateful to the Lord for breath and the ability to bring Him glory! I am thankful for all the "things" God has given me but also very thankful that I can give!! I look back on some of the photos last year at this time and just praise my God for all He has brought us through! Wow, isn't it something to go through such a horrific event but then get through it and look back and see all that God has done ?? That's the amazing thing about serving God - He promises to never leave us or forsake us and if we trust and rely in HIm He promises DELIVERANCE!! AND OH MY - WHAT TREMENDOUS DELIVERANCE HE BROUGHT! We can't possibly understand His ways at the time we are going through something very painful but in the end His ways are truly good and for His loved ones we are always rewarded and given victory! Just lately I have recently found out that my dear friend whom I job shared with at church has been diagnosed with breast cancer and just began her treatment. Her name is Sarah and I would love for you to pray for her healing and victory! I have also learned of another family friend in our church that just found out 5 days ago she has breast cancer. Sometimes do you wonder if the very reason your allowed to go through something so painful is just for the ability of being able minister healing and God's love to someone else going through the same thing??? Let me tell you, I do not for one second believe in coincidence! I am beginning to find out as time goes on how much of God's goodness is coming from my experience with cancer. It was not all in vain!! He is given me the ability to encourage these two special ladies with God's wisdom and knowledge. God spoke something to me several days ago - just 3 words: "Firm, Relying, Trust". Last year at this time just completing my last treatment I wouldn't have been able to thank God for this experience with cancer but as I continued on throughout the year in my healing He has shown me all that He is doing through this experience - AND IT'S AMAZING! I have learned and am learning that a Firm, Relying, Trust in our Savior Jesus brings great deliverance and blessings!! Do you want deliverance today from anything difficult you are facing in life? Just firmly rely on and trust in Jesus and with time ( sometimes longer than we want) He will bring great rewards of blessings and deliverance that you can't possibly imagine! So everyday can be a Thanksgiving because of all that God is doing in our lives!
Love you tons!
Dana
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
God Prepares Us!
Hello My Sweet Family and Friends,
Hope this day brings you great joy and gratitude for all that God has given us! I must have put a spring cleaning pill into my orange juice this morning because I cleaned my house from top to bottom today and while I was doing it I just kept saying "Jesus, thank you so much for the ability, health and strength to clean for my family!" I can't even begin to tell you after facing something like cancer how somedays you just wake up and Praise God for your life and family! Today is one of those days. If felt good to clear out the clutter that had been stacked for about 1 year, layers of dust wiped away and floors that are now the right shade of white! In the midst of my cleaning frenzy I came across an old journal from 2005 that my dear friend Jod the Toad had given me. I just opened it up to an entry from December 1, 2005. It literally took my breath away at how God so prepares our hearts for things to come. I would like to share with you that entry from Dec. 1, 2005:
"My Precious Heavenly Father,
I love you so much and desire to serve you - You have placed a hugh desire and hunger to seek you and know you- You have placed an undescribable passion and urgency to learn your word and know you! I ask myself why??? Are you raising up this generation of Christians to do mighty things for you in these last days? Because if you are, just like Isaiah I say "Send Me". Prepare me Lord! Thank you for choosing me and calling me to be Holy and set apart. Please help me to be humble and obedient. Give me strength to fight the enemy!! Fill me and mold me to be your masterpiece. I hear your calling and I am ready for your change!"
Whewwwwww!!!! I can hardly read that without loosing a few breaths because I had no idea what would hit my life 2 years later. OH, HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT PREPARES OUR HEARTS FOR WHAT IS TO COME! I can remember that feeling of urgency in my spirt and it almost made me anxious. I kept feeling like I needed to get grounded in the Word of God and praying that God would help me have the strength to fight the enemy. My enemy came to destroy me 2 years later and as I look back over the last year and a half God so beautifully answered that journal entry from December 1, 2005. God not only gave me His strength but His courage, He humbled me and stripped me of all my pride, selfishness, and showed me compassion, He most certainly molded me and threw me into a burning furnace to be refined. And all of this for what??? I heard God calling me on December 1, 2005 for a specific purpose on this earth. I remember responding "Send Me" - Yikes!!! (Note to self: do not speak those words to God unless you are ready for something HUGE!!!!!!!!!!) I am changed person for all God has brought through. I am so excited to see how God will use my experience with cancer to minister to many!
This journal that my friend Jod theToad gave me has a bunch of little encouraging scriptures and sayings that she cut out and pasted through out the journal. It is such a treasure! THE most ironic thing about one of these inserts is the one that follows my entry from December 1, 2005! Here it is:
GOD WILL PREPARE US
When it is God's time to bring something into our lives, He will often do it after He has prepared us to receive it.
He may withhold a place of leadership until He has taught us how to serve.
He may withhold honor until He has taught us humility.
He may withhold possessions until He has taught us contentment.
He may withhold a relationship until He has taught us to be complete in Him.
He may withhold an overflow of finances until He has taught us how to give. He may withhold guidance until He has taught us what is pleasing to Him.
He may withhold an active ministry until He has taught us how to be still.
Author unknown
There is no such thing as a coincidence when you believe God is a Sovereign God!
Hope this day brings you great joy and gratitude for all that God has given us! I must have put a spring cleaning pill into my orange juice this morning because I cleaned my house from top to bottom today and while I was doing it I just kept saying "Jesus, thank you so much for the ability, health and strength to clean for my family!" I can't even begin to tell you after facing something like cancer how somedays you just wake up and Praise God for your life and family! Today is one of those days. If felt good to clear out the clutter that had been stacked for about 1 year, layers of dust wiped away and floors that are now the right shade of white! In the midst of my cleaning frenzy I came across an old journal from 2005 that my dear friend Jod the Toad had given me. I just opened it up to an entry from December 1, 2005. It literally took my breath away at how God so prepares our hearts for things to come. I would like to share with you that entry from Dec. 1, 2005:
"My Precious Heavenly Father,
I love you so much and desire to serve you - You have placed a hugh desire and hunger to seek you and know you- You have placed an undescribable passion and urgency to learn your word and know you! I ask myself why??? Are you raising up this generation of Christians to do mighty things for you in these last days? Because if you are, just like Isaiah I say "Send Me". Prepare me Lord! Thank you for choosing me and calling me to be Holy and set apart. Please help me to be humble and obedient. Give me strength to fight the enemy!! Fill me and mold me to be your masterpiece. I hear your calling and I am ready for your change!"
Whewwwwww!!!! I can hardly read that without loosing a few breaths because I had no idea what would hit my life 2 years later. OH, HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT PREPARES OUR HEARTS FOR WHAT IS TO COME! I can remember that feeling of urgency in my spirt and it almost made me anxious. I kept feeling like I needed to get grounded in the Word of God and praying that God would help me have the strength to fight the enemy. My enemy came to destroy me 2 years later and as I look back over the last year and a half God so beautifully answered that journal entry from December 1, 2005. God not only gave me His strength but His courage, He humbled me and stripped me of all my pride, selfishness, and showed me compassion, He most certainly molded me and threw me into a burning furnace to be refined. And all of this for what??? I heard God calling me on December 1, 2005 for a specific purpose on this earth. I remember responding "Send Me" - Yikes!!! (Note to self: do not speak those words to God unless you are ready for something HUGE!!!!!!!!!!) I am changed person for all God has brought through. I am so excited to see how God will use my experience with cancer to minister to many!
This journal that my friend Jod theToad gave me has a bunch of little encouraging scriptures and sayings that she cut out and pasted through out the journal. It is such a treasure! THE most ironic thing about one of these inserts is the one that follows my entry from December 1, 2005! Here it is:
GOD WILL PREPARE US
When it is God's time to bring something into our lives, He will often do it after He has prepared us to receive it.
He may withhold a place of leadership until He has taught us how to serve.
He may withhold honor until He has taught us humility.
He may withhold possessions until He has taught us contentment.
He may withhold a relationship until He has taught us to be complete in Him.
He may withhold an overflow of finances until He has taught us how to give. He may withhold guidance until He has taught us what is pleasing to Him.
He may withhold an active ministry until He has taught us how to be still.
Author unknown
There is no such thing as a coincidence when you believe God is a Sovereign God!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Long Time No See!
Hello to all my Family and Friends!
Wow, it has been several months since I have last updated you on the happenings of my life! It has been on my heart for quite some time to get back to journaling and share with you all what God is doing in our lives. Here are some pics of me and my my awesome family. I have had several haircuts now and am loving trying to decide if I should go short or long - Oh, what wonderful decisions!!!! So much has happened since the last entry! All I want to say tonight is that God is an Awesome God and has brought my family and me through great trials with great victory and now we have great Praise! If it weren't for trials and difficulties what would we have to Praise our Creator for??? He likes to show His power and miracles through our trials and then our faith in Him grows leaps and bounds. May God's richest blessings be upon you and your families.
Love to all!
Dana
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