"Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want.  It is the belief that God will do what is right."

Good Wednesday morning!! I have a wonderful announcement to make. My nephew Scott and his wife Audrey had their first child, a baby girl named Linnea, yesterday. She was 7 lbs 15 oz and 21 inches long. Congratulations!! We are so happy for you! Can't wait to see  and hold her!

I am extremely inspired by all the wonderful encouragement and prayers that are surrounding me constantly.  My happy heart thanks you so much.  I do have another more specific prayer request for myself.  First of all I do realize that it hasn't been quite 3 weeks yet since my  brain surgery and I still have a lot more recovering to do. I am at peace about that......a true answer to your prayers.   I am being so good about taking it easy too.  The problem, which is normal after my type of surgery, is my eyes.  I can't see very well.  Especially my right eye where the surgery was the closest to.  It is very light sensitive, black spots, white spots, colored spots, movements etc...It will get better in time.  The frustrating part for me is that it makes it very difficult to focus on anything.  Hard to read, look at computer, TV etc....  I am not able to write either.  I love to send out cards and notes and I have not been able to write out any.  I have not even sent out one thank you card.  I love to do cards.  While I know this will be a long recovery and God is teaching me much through this I ask that you pray that my eyes will get a little bit better each day so I can focus on doing something more.  Yes I do listen to books on CD but am so ready to read, write, play on the computer, scrapbook.....you get the idea. It might be that God wants me to just be still and listen. I trust the Lord and I know he is helping me to get through each day.   I will keep you updated on the progress of that.  Thanks everyone.  Also sleep would be nice to have too.  Steriods still pretty much keep me awake all the time. I have learned to catnap though throughout the day.

God did provide me a little relief by being able to think about the designs in my mind for  the project that I will be working on at the end of the month.  I have lots of ideas in my head and that helps me tremendously.  It has been so much fun to hear about what people have planned to make. 

Here is Tyler playing in his little pool with the hose.  He had a blast!

Prayer requests: Please read Randi Ryan's comment in yesterdays post.  Also jobs. There are still a few people who are asking for your prayers for a job. Please pray that they will find one this week. Also for my friends mom who had surgery yesterday.  That she won't have any complications in her healing process and that she be comfortable.

Lamentations 3 verses 21 - 25: Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his lovingkindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek from him.

Read the bible in a year: Today.....Isaiah 28 - 30. Thursday......Isaiah 31 - 35.

Have a wonderful day everyone!! Today is another precious gift from God and He is so Good!

Super excited about Saturdays Craft Extravaganza!  I am praying hard to be able to go and enjoy for awhile! Awesome things happening with it!

Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it.  You can make more money, but you can't make more time.  When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back.  Your time is your life.  That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.  It is not enough to just say that relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them.  Words alone are worthless.  Our words should not be just words and talk,  it must be true love which shows itself in action.  Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is T- I -M- E.

Good Thursday morning!! I woke up this morning thinking about how perfect God's timing has been in my life.  Even when it is so tough to wait.  I have learned and still continue to learn about how God's timing is best.  Still not easy though.  What brought that on was that I was having yet another sleepless night so I decided to get up and walk around the house for a little while.  Well my son Jeff was up too so we sat and had such a great time talking.  One of those times where as I was talking to him I was thanking God for this awesome moment between he and I.  Where I knew that we wouldn't be interrupted and just had an uplifting conversation.  He encouraged me so much and before I knew it, I was sound asleep.  Thank you God.....it was exactly what I needed at the most perfect time.  Even if it was at 3:30 in the morning.  (Jeff is my night owl).

Then guess what I did?  My friend Terrie O. asked me if I felt up to just going out to breakfast.  I was like yes....let's try it.  I am ready to get out a little.  So she picked me up and away we went.  Came home right after and fell asleep but it felt soooo good to get out for a moment!  So thank you Terrie.  It was a baby step.  Still taking everything one moment and day at a time.  I promise you all that I took it very easy the rest of the day.

Prayer requests:  Please pray for all to be healed and remain in remission from cancer: Lori, Lorri Cavins, Teresa, Lorenzo, Jose, Susan, Cova, Karen, Cyndi, Claudia's Dad, Sharon, Betsy, Allen, Kenny, Irma, Faustine, Samuel, Father Ruben, Ken, Kristin, Patrick, Becky, Jim, Wayne, Carolyn, Ron, Jeff B., Diane, Bill, Lara, Barbara, Kari, Gary, Denise, Cammie, Cody, Martin, Bec, Felicity, Rylee, Ginger and James. If anyone else you know needs to be added to this list let me know. leslie@mgilbert.net

Read the bible in a year:  Today.....Isaiah 31 - 35.  Friday.....Isaiah 36 - 41.  I am so proud of everyone who is keeping up with this.  Don't worry if you fall behind. Due to the past few weeks I am so behind right now but am super determined to catch up.  Keep going!!  We can do it!!

Ephesians 3 verses 17 - 19:  I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soul of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it.  And so at last you will be filled up with God himself. 

Have a super day everyone!  Today is another precious gift from God and He is so Good!

I received another piece for my collage yesterday.  Love it!  This is so much fun for me.  Remember you have lots of time to work on it.  Won't start it until the beginning of September.

Good Friday morning everyone!  I am sure that a lot of you are very happy that the weekend is just about here. I am so looking  forward to Saturday's Craft Extravaganza!  I know I won't be able to stay long but I sure do hope and pray that I can at least go and stay a bit to just see it all and soak it all in.  Susan Beach, Amy Brinnon and Jami Parker along with many others have done an outstanding job! I am humbled and thankful.

Today I am asking for prayers for strong veins.  I have my now new routine blood work to get done today.  Please pray they get the needle in on the first try.  Some of you might not know that I have such a hard time with this.  The prayer warriors always pray me through it.  I will be taking these results with me to my oncologist Dr. McClay's office on Tuesday when I go up for my Yervoy check-up.  This will now be routine too.  Two weeks after every treatment I have to be fully checked.  Do I have any side effect issues?  Yes, I think maybe one.  It has been under control so far but I will know more on Tuesday.  It is very hard to know what is what because so many things happened to me at once.  New meds, steroids, gamma knife surgery, brain surgery, Yervoy treatment etc... Sometimes I can't believe that all happened in just a few weeks!  It has been 3 weeks since my brain surgery and it is a slow recovery, but I am home doing it so I will not complain.  I am grateful that God has given me the strength to get through what I never thought I could ever endure.  Amazing what the power of prayer and God's continuous strength can get us through.

We all have burdens.  While they may not seem to be as big to some, they are to those that are going through it.  Please know that you don't have to bear the weight alone. The Lord is here and ready to assist you and take care of you.  As you pray, take the time to name each one.  Let God lighten your load.  All you have to do is ask.  Trust me.  I do on a daily basis.  Several times a day. I, as well as many others here care too.

I wanted to congratulate Tommy and Rachel Dale on the birth of their new baby boy William Jackson Dale.  He was born on 8 - 3 at 8:03 p.m.  How cool is that?  Mickey and Peggy of course are thrilled to be grandparents again!  Let the spoiling begin!

I would also like to wish a very "Happy Birthday" today to my friend Olga Ortega!  Have a wonderful day Olga!

Here is a picture of Tyler cuddling with Poppi after his bath.  Love the smell of kids after a  bath.

Prayer requests:  Let's pray for the safety and protection of our men and women serving in our military.  They need our prayers on a daily basis.  Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all that you do for our country's safety. Keep their families in your prayers too.

Psalm 145 verses 1 -3:  I will praise you, my God and King, and bless your name each day and forever.  Great is Jehovah!  Greatly praise him!  His greatness is beyond discovery!

Read the bible in a year:  Today.....Isaiah 36 - 41.  Saturday....Isaiah 42 - 44.

Have a simply fantabulous day everyone!!  Today is another gift from God and He is so Good!

Question:  Favorite brunch foods?  I need ideas!  Tell you why later. Feel free to share recipes too.  What is a must have to eat at a brunch for you?

Good Saturday morning!  The day is finally here!  The Craft Extravaganza!  I am super excited!  I know that this event has been a great experience for those that have been working so hard on planning it. They have been so wonderful about keeping me updated on how it is all going.   I can only imagine how wonderfully blessed it will be tonight as it is actually taking place.  All I can say now is......aaaaahhhhhh......thanks everyone.  If you could feel all the fullness and happiness from my heart right now.  I or someone will take pictures of the event to share with you all through out next week. But I hope to see you there.  It starts at 4:00 at Waggoner Elementary School in Imperial. 

On Sunday Mike and I will be celebrating 29 years of marriage!!  Yep.....I was 20 years old when I married him and they have been the best years of my life.  I can honestly say that the years have flown by and they have been one fun memory after the other and we have been truly thankful and blessed.  Not only is Mike the love of my life but he is my best friend and my rock.  After 29 years of marriage, Mike is still a gentleman - he always opens doors and car doors for me, he holds my hand when we walk and he pulls the chair out for me at a restaurant.  Happy anniversary my love!

Let's thank God for all the miracles and blessings we receive daily.  Thank God for helping us get through each day and for his unconditional mercies and love. Thank him also for answered prayers.

Psalms 145 verses 8 - 11:  Jehovah is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of love.  He is good to everyone, and his compassion is intertwined with everything he does.  All living things shall thank you, Lord, and your people will bless you.  They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom and mention examples of your power.

Read the bible in a year:  Today........Isaiah 42 - 44.  Sunday....Isaiah 45 - 48.  Monday....Isaiah 49 - 53.

Have a spectacular weekend everyone!!  Have a relaxing, fun weekend!  See you back here on Monday!  Today is another precious gift from God and He is so Good!

Let's have some fun tonight!

Sunday 3:00 p.m.  Please pray for Leslie.  She has now spiked a 101.8 fever.  Pass the word on.