Never Quit!

 

Staying the Course...

 

We start by setting the course...

We succeed by staying the course.

This is truth in so many areas of our lives, but never so true as when faced with the formidable challenge of a cancer diagnosis.

Setting the course takes moments... Staying the course takes everything we have.

Praying tonight for each cancer warrior, for strength, for wisdom, for the perseverance to walk the road before them, and most of all, for love and support to help shoulder the load.

My Love, Always,
                     Jane

No Matter How Dark...

                                     

Don't be so hard on yourself.

Everybody has a chapter they don't read out loud.
Take a moment. Sit back.
Marvel at your life;
at the mistakes that gave you wisdom,
at the suffering that gave you strength.

Despite everything, you still move forward,
be proud of this.

Continue to endure.
Continue to persevere.

And no matter how dark it gets,
remember where you're headed.

~ unknown

Your Story Matters

 

Be the Tree, Not the Rock...

 

Can't Go Around It...

What a week!

We've been in a happy place, watching our 3 busy, busy grand-kids while their mom and dad took a much deserved mini-vacation-anniversary-celebration!

It's been a week full of chaos and noise, the sweetest belly laughs, complicated 5-year-old negotiations, lots of macaroni-n-cheese, and the best hugs ever.

We came home and crashed!  Lol!  There's a reason God gives babies to the young and able!

One of the recurring themes of the week was music... it was an eclectic mix to be sure.  "P" was on a Frozen kick and I think we have the soundtrack memorized ;-)  The youngest of the twins loved the nursery rhyme action songs and we had a fabulous repertoire featuring Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy and you Know it and Going on a Bear Hunt.

It turns out that Pepaw makes a great Bear!

It was perhaps the 100th time we sang Going on a Bear Hunt that the words spoke truth and a real life application.

Here are the lyrics (for a quick refresh... you're welcome!)

Going on a Bear Hunt (adapted by Michael Rosen)

We're goin' on a bear hunt,

We're going to catch a big one,

I'm not scared

What a beautiful day!

Oh Look! It's some long, wavy grass!

Can't go over it,

Can't go under it,

Can't go around it,
Got to go through it.
(Make arm motions like you're going through
long grass and make swishing sounds.)

We're goin' on a bear hunt,

We're going to catch a big one,

I'm not scared

What a beautiful day!

Oh Look!  Squishy, Oozy Mud!

Can't go over it,

Can't go under it,

Can't go around it,

Got to go through it.
(Pretend to squish, squelch
through the thick mud.)

We're goin' on a bear hunt,

We're going to catch a big one,

I'm not scared

What a beautiful day!

Oh Look!  It's a big, wide river.

Can't go over it,

Can't go under it,

Can't go around it,

Got to go through it.
(Pretend to swim and
make splashing sounds.)

We're goin' on a bear hunt,

We're going to catch a big one,

I'm not scared

What a beautiful day!

Oh Look!  A deep, dark cave.

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

Can't go around it.

Got to go through it.

(Pretend to tiptoe into cave.)

Uh, oh!  It's dark in here.

I fee something,

It has lots of hair!

It has sharp teeth!

It's a bear!

Hurry back through the river.

(Make swimming, splashy sounds and motions.)
Hurry back through the mud.

(Make squishy, squelchy sounds and motions.)
Hurry back through the long grass.

(Make arm motions waving through the grass.)

Run in the house and lock the door.

Phew!  That was close!

I'm not afraid!

Leave it to a children's song to teach Big Lessons.

There are some things that we just have to Go Through... there's no going over it, no going under and surely no going around it.

The only way is going through it...

Cancer is like that.  Pancreatic cancer.  A hard journey with no way out but to go through.

And don't we all say with bravado, I'm not scared... when the truth is we're so scared we can hardly breathe.  The cancer takes us down into that dark, dark cave.  And the bear is no smiling, roaring Pepaw, reaching to tickle a giggling toddler.

The dark journey of a cancer fight can take us into the pit of fear.

And still, there's no way out but going through.

Adversity will drive us to our knees.  We can look down and shrivel under the weight of the overwhelming darkness...

Or, we can look up, to a God who promises to go before us... to walk us through the fear.  Not to remove the circumstance, but to give us strength to face it and head straight through it.

We have the perfect promise of an Almighty God who will never leave us nor fail us... He goes with us... even through the darkest of caves.  The biggest of bears bows down before the Holy One...

"Be strong and bold,

have no fear or dread of them,

because it is the Lord your God

who goes before you.

He will be with you:

He will not fail you or forsake you."

                    ~ Deuteronomy 31:6,8

We're going on a Bear Hunt, and no matter what our dark caves hold, together we will be strong and courageous, for there is a great God who goes through it with us...

And that's Grace for tonight!
My Love,
Always,
             Jane

Standing in the Storm...

Courage in the face of the impossible... that is what the pancreatic cancer patient faces every day.  It is a storm that is constantly battering and blowing us off course.

And when the wind does not blow our way, we stop and adjust the sails.

Praying always for each one facing this fight.  You courage is lighting the way for those following behind...

Cheering you on this night!

My Love, Always,
                           Jane

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

~Cayla Mills

When Life is Hard...

Walking this Journey together...

What Lies Within...

"What lies behind us

and what lies before us

are tiny matters

compared to

what lies within us."

                                 

                                     ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson