Surgery Scheduled Tomorrow

Tomorrow (9/27) I put on my pink boxing gloves and am getting in the ring again to punch the lights outtta cancer before I follow up by blasting any remnants of this beast to smithereens with  chemo! Although, honestly, I don’t know a thing about boxing, I’ve got God and my breast surgeon in the operating room with me so I’ve got a great team fighting for me as I sleep through this round, ha, ha. I want to say a great big “thank you” to you guys on the side lines cheering us on. Cancer is rough on the whole family. We so appreciate your encouragement and for keeping  John, Nicholas, Joy, Hannah, and I in your prayers.  

I’m gearing myself back up to get in my “Cancer Fightin’ Warrior Woman Mode” with my eye on the prize and I’m fighting to win. The surgery is at 1 PM EST with an injection in Nuclear Medicine  at 11am for sentinel node mapping.  My husband will pop a note here postop to let ya’all know I’m doing great.  🙂  I should be in the hospital over night then will continue my recovery at Home Sweet Home. The plans are for me to begin chemo in about a month.

Continuing my second 1000 Gift Gratefulness List:

33. Beth reminding me of this quote I put in my blog 9/21/2011:

“’I didn’t sign up for this! I know that I sang, ‘Wherever He leads. I’ll go’, but can’t we at least check the weather report first? How could He lead me into a storm like this one?’
Just cling to the knowledge that YOU COULD BE IN NO SAFER PLACE THAN A STORM OF HIS MAKING. You are safer and more secure in the tempest with Jesus than you could ever be in the calmest place without Him. That calm, you’ll come to realize, is an illusion, and the storm is for a good purpose and a short duration.”
quoted from Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, “A Bend in the Road”

34. A wonderful, wonderful weekend at a Faces of Courage retreat: https://facesofcourage.wordpress.com/

35.

Isaiah 26:3 in the NLT:

 You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

In the NIV:

You will keep in perfect peace  those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.

In the Amplified Classic:

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

I’m so thankful that the Lord is flooding me with peace…not that I am 100% at peace at all times and I’ve sure done plenty of crying, but I know Who to run to and that’s what I’m doing.  I’d love to be cancer-free again and that’s what I’m aiming towards and fighting for, but the real “prize” is even way better than that no matter how all this turns out.  I pray that my loving Heavenly Father will conform me to the image of His son through all He brings me through.  May I come forth like GOLD for Him in this Refiner’s Fire.  Life here is like a vapor, a mere blink of the eye and then comes Eternity when I’ll have forever with Him. Now THAT’s a grand thought to look forward to!  As far as I know, I’ve got plenty of living life to the fullest here on earth before then though!  🙂  Here is the truth in a nut-shell that has given me immense hope: http://www.evantell.org/the-gospel

Gratefully His,

Paula