Author: leonard1959

I have found that often some type of blessing for someone or many someones comes from a tragedy. In 2016 our church started a ministry for those dealing with cancer. We called it A Servant’s Heart. We mail boxes with blankets and hats and encouraging testimonies to those diagnosed with this dreaded disease. I cannot express the number of beautiful cards we receive each year expressing how much these packages helped in some capacity. I will admit I was a driving force behind the creation of this ministry based on my own experiences with cancer both with my son and myself. What a blessing it has been for me to be a part of it.

Perhaps there is a way you can serve God through whatever event you are experiencing that has made life challenging and scary. It is amazing how that selflessness helps so much in healing. In the meantime, go out and be courageous. Embrace each day with enthusiasim to express your confidence in God that He is going to make all things right in His timing.

Two days down, two days to go. That’s what I use to think on a Wednesday morning as I headed into the public school system building. How many of you can relate? My former life as a public school teacher seems like a lifetime ago. So much has changed since I retired in 2015 due to a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Like many people, I did not realize how much I would miss “normal” until “normal” was no longer my life.

For each stage that we walk through, God has a plan. It may not feel like it at the time. Our lives can change in a heartbeat as many of you know. Suddenly the mundane that we experienced before we wish we had back. However do not fear. In all things you walk through and each experience God has a plan. He can use you regardless of your circumstances. Embrace those changes whether it is aging related and you cannot do what you use to do or health issues or changes in your personal life due to divorce. God can use your circumstances and you are the same valuable person who has much to offer.

Be encouraged this day. Whatever you are experiencing you are not alone. His rod and His staff they comfort you. Your life has a purpose. You have meaning. You are valuable to the kingdom of God. Choose to love Him and serve Him. It is the most important decision you will ever make.

Yesterday was very busy for me. I was out doing yard work which involved mowing and weed eating. After the storm from this past Saturday, there were tree limbs of various sizes on the ground. I had to dispose of those as well. Once I was in the house for the later afternoon, I decided to clean carpets in two bedrooms. I did have several grandchildren this past weekend:)

The above may seem like menial tasks but let me tell you this. There was a time when I could not do these things. After my cancer diagnosis, I was placed on two very hard chemo drugs. One was called doxirubicin which is nicknamed the red devil. I had to have a heart protection drug before I received it through IV. The other chemo drug required a brain protection medication before I received it. My hemoglobin dropped, my platelets dropped and my white cell count is still to this day not in the normal range. To be abnormal is my new normal. When ones hemoglobin drops, dizziness and tiredness becomes reality. This made it challenging to do normal routines. And yet here I am today able to do all of these things. I am still alive despite what statistics showed for this disease and I am able to do all the physical things I did prior to my treatment.

As you can imagine I am grateful for the menial tasks because of the experience of not being able to do them for a season. God is merciful and kind and He has restored me. I am grateful for that. If you are facing cancer treatments and have similar symptoms to what I experienced, hang on. Face them with courage. Know that it is for a season and restoration may be on the horizon. Trust in God in His timing and give Him the glory for each moment and each day. Remember that in this life we are called to trust God and be courageous!

Such a beautiful classic hymn. How many of you know the story behind that hymn? The author wrote the words while traveling on a ship from the US to Europe to join his wife. She had traveled previously with their four daughters. There was a tragic shipwreck and all four of their daughters perished with one being dragged from her mother’s hands as they went into the sea. In all of my pain and grief over letting go of Zach, I could not imagine what these two parents experienced with one horrific event. Later they would go on to have three more children, one son and two daughters. Their son would die as a toddler and the two remaining daughters would live to adulthood.

Many of us would question where was God during all that happened in their lives. I would argue He was right there. From that tragedy came this beautiful hymn that was written on the deck of a ship at the approximate place where the previous event took place. If you are not familiar with this hymn, look it up on YouTube and listen to it or google the words and think of the history behind those words. What a beautiful testimony of what our lives should be. We are to be reminded always of the life that is still to come where there is no death or sorrow. Every tear will be wiped away. Remember those are God’s promises not man and remember that unlike all of us, God is not capable of lying.

This real life experience is also an example of how we are to be courageous. Nothing is guaranteed except that our Lord is with us to strengthen us and restore our joy. Be courageous today.

If you have battled cancer or know someone who has, you are familiar with the desire for a good report. To me, battling cancer is like being on a rollercoaster. You have many ups and downs. If you have received a bad report, hold on. A good report is right around the corner.

A former student of mine has been battling advanced cancer for several years now. She has been told that her cancer is not curable. She will continue to battle it with different medications to control it. A month or so ago she had received a bad report that the cancer was no longer responding to the chemo treatment. MDA placed her on radiation treatment and tested her again. I am beyond thrilled to report the primary tumor has shrunk and doctors fully expect it to continue to shrink. That is a great report!!

Life is uncertain. In a lot of ways life is like a battle with cancer. It is a rollercoaster. There are many ups and downs, highs and lows. If you are currently in the valley in some aspect of your life, you can be sure that the mountain top is not that far away. This life was not meant for those with a weak stomach. We have been blessed with much and we also have to live with life in a sin filled world and the fallout from that. The one true source of strength is God. This I know to be true. This young woman that I wrote on in the beginning of this blog knows this to be true as well. God has sustained her and carried her. She would very much witness this to you if you ever have the pleasure of meeting her. Go out and be courageous today. Trust in God. Allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and give you courage. You are an overcomer.

I feel like I have been around cattle my whole life. This is Texas. My parents raised cattle in retirement years and my younger brother continues to and he lives next to me. Yesterday as I was walking towards the back pasture, I got to witness the conclusion of one of the younger cows giving birth to her first calf. Cattle people know that sometimes this miracle can go wrong and I have witnessed that. However yesterday on a beautiful sunny day there were no problems. It is truly a miracle that God created and it always causes joy in my heart when I watch a young newborn calf attempt to stand for the first time and the love that its mother shows in encouraging him and protecting him.

All of us have experienced times of sorrows in our lives. I have written about mine. Letting go of Zach from this world was the hardest thing Leonard and I ever walked. My own cancer diagnosis that was so grim in the beginning was also difficult and trying and I will write more on these experiences as I keep this blog. However, there is still so much joy in this life. It is amazing to me how each of us can rebound and find so much purpose to keep going. Joy is restored and hope continues. The only source for any of this is God and God alone. I feel His comfort and His strength and it gives me sustenance I need to endure.

Despite what you are facing or going through know that there is hope in Christ and your ultimate strength lies in the knowledge that God is who He said He is, that He did what He said He did and He is going to do what He said He is going to do.

I am an early riser. This past Sunday morning around 5:30 a.m. I noticed patrol car lights. As the morning wore on, I noticed that traffic had stopped and had been stopped for quite some time. Clearly there had been some kind of accident on business 71 yet I did not hear any kind of crash. Yesterday my husband informed me that there had been an accident. A young man, possibly in his 20’s, had been struck down by a car. He apparently had been walking down the middle of the highway in the dark wearing dark clothing. The driver of the vehicle did not see him until he was almost on him. A life gone in an instant.

Scripture warns us that this life is but a vapor, a mist. Those of us who have had to let go of a young child or young adult are quite aware of that reality. This is not written I believe to scare us as it is to make us aware so that we are ready when that time comes. Do we have a faith and trust in Christ? Have we given our lives to Him? Do we love Him more than this world? Do we understand that there is something so much better still to come?

Like you I found myself grieving for a family that would receive hard news. I wondered if they had a faith in Christ. I wondered if that young man dying on a lonely highway had a faith in Christ. If you are reading this and you are still on the fence, I encourage you to read God’s Word with an open mind and an open heart. I encourage to try and find out if you believe the God of the bible to be the only true God. If you already are of that opinion, praise God and be thankful for each moment you have and especially grateful for each moment that will come when we are in His presence. In the meantime, stay courageous!

Last week I referenced the above scripture from the book of Numbers. It is a pretty amazing statement because it does reflect the power of the creator. If we believe the bible to be true. If we believe that God is who He said He is, then we must know that absolutely nothing is too difficult, hard or challenging for Him.

Last month I had my regular CT scan and blood work. I do this routine every 4 months because of the type of cancer I had and that it has grown back twice in the last 8 years in my lungs. My cancer actually started in my uterus and spread to my lungs. My abdomen graduated to a yearly exam quite a while back but my lungs did not reach that goal. In December of 2023, my bloodwork showed that my hemogloblin had dropped to 10.4 which is below the acceptable amount of 12.0. This was unexpected and anemia typically indicates an issue for a woman of my many years. With my history, it can certainly indicate cancer. I had to do a follow up CBC this last week and praise to God, my hemoglobin was back up into the normal range with 12.2.

It is easy for all of us to praise God when our news is good. It is more challenging when we receive alarming news. That I believe is the human condition. We know that nothing is too difficult for God and yet we get sick, our family breaks apart, loved ones die. We wonder. The reality is that God can do whatever He chooses. We have to accept that we are in a world corrupted by sin and that this world is not our ultimate home. There is a world coming where sin is not involved. The bible describes it and for me it would be too difficult to actually write into words. Read God’s Word. It will give you a clue. In the meantime, trust God. Walk with Him. Praise Him. Give Him the glory in all things. Ask that He make you courageous.

It’s Friday! When I was working full time now going on 8 years ago, that was a joyous feeling. A two day break was on the horizon! Friday also gives each of us an opportunity to think back over the many blessings we have been given.

One thing all of us have in common to be joyful over is that we were born in this country. Despite all the issues we see and many are disconcerning for sure, this country has been blessed and we by extension have also been blessed. A working toilet in a home is a great thing. Air conditioning in the summer in Texas is greater than what words here can describe. Oh that my ancestors could have enjoyed that. There is so much.

You may be facing a really tough situation in your life right now. Most of us totally understand. Keep in mind that there is nothing too big for the one true living God. In reading Numbers this morning, I came across this verse “And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?” Think about that. Of course it has not! There is absolutely nothing He can’t do and you have absolutely nothing to lose to petition before His throne. Remember that this life is full of challenges and difficulties as well as joy and happiness. You have a source of strength. Seek Him. Trust Him. Allow Him to be your source of courage and don’t forget those words of gratitude and praise!

Grief is very painful. It can devastate us and rob us of so much joy. My pastor told me once the greater the love, the deeper the sorrow. I believe that to be true. The last evening of Zach’s life in this world was spent at MD Anderson. His oxygen need was so great that he had two oxygen masks on trying to be comfortable. Rachel came to see him that last time. As she began speaking to my husband and myself, Zach heard her and recognized her voice. He took both masks off to say her name. He always called her Ms Thomas. She spoke to him in a comforting tone and left abruptly. She told me later she went to her car and sat there and just cried. As a doctor, she knew his time was close. Afterwards in a conversation with her, I poured out my sorrow through questions. Why didn’t God heal Zach? We had so much faith. We claimed God’s promises and His Word. Isn’t this what all the word of faith teachers tell us?? Why wasn’t Zach healed on this side? Rachel in her normal calm manner replied “Sheri, think again about what you’re saying. If we could control God with our own desires and whims, He would not be a God worth serving.” How true is this statement!

God is God because He is holy. He is the One true God. He created everything. He is perfect. We cannot measure His holiness because we can’t even understand it. One day for those of us who choose to submit and trust, we will.

I often smile when I think about and envision Zach hanging out with Rachel. He admired her so. That gives me so much joy and that is where my true healing comes from. First we must believe God is real and Jesus died for us. Then we need to choose to submit to His authority and desire to please Him above all else. When we feel that our family members or friends have done the same and their time on this earth ends, there is much joy in knowing that a glorious reunion is still to come. In the meantime, keep trusting and walk courageously with God.