tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post332582229283108806..comments2023-10-14T03:42:14.950-05:00Comments on This Is What It Means To Be Held, What It Means To Be Loved: Chemo - Middle of the Night ReflectionsSuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291771662746743751noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-27047584008599167262009-04-23T22:35:00.000-05:002009-04-23T22:35:00.000-05:00Sue and Jason,
How much this brings back memories...Sue and Jason,<br /><br />How much this brings back memories of the blog for Mackenzie on CaringBridge those few short years ago! God brought you through that and He will bring you through this as well. My very favorite Bible verse is: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." I recall picturing Mackenzie held close and safe in God's hands the many months and the many trials you all went through, and now I picture you in the same way, held to His heart as you travel this unknown and scary path.<br /><br />You are on prayer lists all across the country now, and across the world. Feel the power of all those prayers, be confident and know that there is a miracle in store for you. Your faith and trust are inspiring; hold on to them with all your heart and soul!<br /><br />Thank you for being so open and sharing with those of us who care about you; you are an extraordinary person. <br /><br />By the way, we know a man in Minneapolis who had the very same sinus cancer that you have, over ten years ago. He only wanted to live long enough to dance at his daughter's wedding when he was first diagnosed -- he got to do that, and now enjoys his granddaughter as well. He might be someone to talk to, if you don't already have enough of those!<br /><br />I look forward to following your blog all the way to complete and total recovery and remission. God bless and keep all of you through this situation.<br /><br />Love, Bev (Johansen)<br /><br />P.S. The spruce tree your family gave us in memory of Frank is thriving; one of these days it will be big enough to decorate at Christmas. Stop by and see it (and us) sometime when you are in Platteville!bjjohan39@yahoo.comhttp://yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-59516135128483516802009-04-22T19:48:00.000-05:002009-04-22T19:48:00.000-05:00Hi Sue,
You have been on my mind a lot and I canno...Hi Sue,<br />You have been on my mind a lot and I cannot imagine what you are going through. Please remember the words of Pastor Joel when he said "there is nothing you will go through that has not first passed before God's eyes". God would not allow it unless He knew you would be able to withstand it by relying on His strength. You are strong enough Sue and you can do it! God is there with you... lean on Him... crawl on His lap... rest in Him.<br />I was given this beautiful paraphrase of Isaiah 43:1-5 that I want to share with you.<br />This is what the Lord says- He who created you, He who formed you, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you; When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior; You are precious in my sight, and I love you, Do not be afraid, for I am with you." <br />May you feel the power and presence of God and may He give you rest and peace. God's mighty healing hand be upon you.<br />Love and prayers,<br />NikkiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-64914083166343123532009-04-22T16:30:00.000-05:002009-04-22T16:30:00.000-05:00Sue! That's so great what your Aunt sent you. I ...Sue! That's so great what your Aunt sent you. I can say Amen to all that!!! I posted a note to you on the 21st but realized I scrolled all the way down to the bottom so it probably posted under your very first blog entry just in case you did not get it. You can tell I have never done the blog thing before.:) Anyway, make sure you read it, if you have not. I hope to talk to you soon. Your parents told me today you felt a little worse. We will keep praying for strength for you to handle the chemo. We love you much!<br />Michelle A.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-46641378669124178232009-04-22T15:23:00.000-05:002009-04-22T15:23:00.000-05:00Hi, Sue,
I cry every time I read your blog. You ar...Hi, Sue,<br />I cry every time I read your blog. You are so transparent about your fear and your thoughts, they moved me deeply. You are actually doing your run now, a spiritual one!! Of course a few laps around the oncology lab don't hurt either. I am sending you one of my favorite bible verses:<br /><br />Jeremiah 29:11<br />For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. <br /><br />Hang in there Sue, you are in our prayers every night.<br /><br />PhyllisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-67839446095115932982009-04-22T14:22:00.000-05:002009-04-22T14:22:00.000-05:00Sue,
After reading your post yesterday, you were o...Sue,<br />After reading your post yesterday, you were on my mind constantly. I was praying you through the night because I couldn't sleep thinking about what you were going through. At about 3 am I almost drove down to be by your side and just pray for you. I know the Lord can hear me from home but I want you to know that you are covered in prayer. God can heal and He will heal. I will continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will lift the anxiety off of you. <br />With Love,<br />Julie Johnson DahlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-27488214929372181002009-04-22T12:19:00.000-05:002009-04-22T12:19:00.000-05:00Hi Sue: "God's grace is sufficient" is the verse ...Hi Sue: "God's grace is sufficient" is the verse on my heart for you today. How can we know that if we aren't tested? You are experiencing the ultimate test. You are a beacon of light reflecting the Holy Spirit's grace and mercy. He is using you, precious child of His, to minister to others. (II Cor. 1:3,4) Isn't that one of the tasks we are given on this earth - to be JESUS to everyone around us? You are doing that! Giving HIM the honor and glory shows us that we can too, no matter what. Thanks for speaking to me in your experience. You are loved, Donna LundborgUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14704846802866469715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-91411084098506050912009-04-22T11:57:00.000-05:002009-04-22T11:57:00.000-05:00Hi Sue,
As many have said, I also have been very b...Hi Sue,<br />As many have said, I also have been very blessed by your posts. I miss seeing you, Jason, and the girls. I'm going to have to stop by before I leave for the summer. Your perspective on this experience is so amazing and such a testimony! Because I tend to be a literature fanatic:), I love to find poems and inspirational stories. As I was looking today, I found this piece by a woman who battled cancer in the past. Her perspective of seeing cancer as a learning experience really reminded me of what I have been reading in your posts, so I thought I would share:<br /> Making Friends with Cancer<br /> By: Dawn Nelson<br />You make friends with cancer by heeding its call to consciousness, by letting it change your life. You slow down. You pay attention. You stop doing things you don't really want or need to do. You prioritize. You pace yourself. You respect your body. You spend time with those whose presence is healing.<br /> <br />You make friends with cancer by noticing the small miracles that occur daily--the chorus of bird songs in the morning air, the intoxicating fragrance of one pink rose, the melody of raindrops, the heart melting sweetness of your children's smiles, the eternality of an ocean wavy, the exquisite beauty of a setting sun, the presence of your beloved--which, before cancer, you may have overlooked or been to "busy" to enjoy or appreciate. <br /><br />You make friends with cancer by letting love in. You open your heart. You tell the truth. You ask for help. You accept the profound generosity of friends. You let whatever you may have given return itself to you. <br /><br />You make friends with cancer by allowing it to remind you of what is actually important in life and what is less so, by forging a relationship with it that fosters new insight, by seeing the uninvited guest as an opportunity for learning and growth. <br /><br />You make friends with cancer by accepting the myriad gifts and joys which life offers. You don't waste time complaining about things you cannot change or which you wish were different. You dance when you can, you weep when you must. You notice what you have instead of what you don't have. You practice thankfulness, and forgiveness. <br /><br />You make friends with cancer by not hiding from it or hating it, but by acknowledging it, accepting what it has to teach you and continuing on your Journey, one step at a time.<br /><br />I hope you find that encouraging. It is evident that you are allowing God to use this experience and change you through it. Blessings on your afternoon! Andy and I are praying for you!<br /><br />DaniAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-72826873098126283202009-04-22T09:09:00.000-05:002009-04-22T09:09:00.000-05:00What a great post. You are an inspiration for oth...What a great post. You are an inspiration for other women that are going through the same thing or will be. You love the Lord and it shows. HE is there through it all. Praying for a good day.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04572128334553536606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-58499624244206855442009-04-22T08:37:00.000-05:002009-04-22T08:37:00.000-05:00You are such an inspiration Sue! You are a hero t...You are such an inspiration Sue! You are a hero to many. You have such a will to fight and I know that you will pull through this. We are praying for you and sending you good thoughts. When I dropped off dinner last night at your house, Mackenzie was like a ray of sunshine greeting me at the door. She was so happy to see us, and of course wondering where Emma was. And Lucy was chasing Kendall down the sidewalk, lots of hugs of course! They are so sweet, and are in such good care with Grandma and Grandpa's. I'm always amazed at how resilient children are. You truly are blessed! We love you and are sending you good thoughts today!<br /><br />MichelleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-23213038048832485282009-04-22T08:21:00.000-05:002009-04-22T08:21:00.000-05:00Hang in there! We all know you are strong enough ...Hang in there! We all know you are strong enough to take on the challenge. Andy and I are following your journey and have you in our thoughts. Be SURE to catch some sunshine from that window! :-) MariaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-39027580624005519522009-04-22T08:15:00.000-05:002009-04-22T08:15:00.000-05:00Good morning Sue! I had a feeling I would find mi...Good morning Sue! I had a feeling I would find middle of the night reflections from you, so I checked your blog early. It is so amazing to see how God is touching your life. And the things you are learning about "control" are the things WE ALL need to learn, so thank you for the inspiring reminders that God's got everything in his hands! Everything! I love you and am praying for you. I'll try and call today. . . would love to visit soon! <br /><br />Love,<br /><br />CheriAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6258723419563128813.post-4247438448045926382009-04-22T07:36:00.000-05:002009-04-22T07:36:00.000-05:00Sue - we miss you so much in the morning and can&#...Sue - we miss you so much in the morning and can't wait to have you back - let me know if you need a friend to take some laps of the oncology floor and I will be right over! I can bring the Chariot and we can share the challenge of pushing that too :>). Mark says he will lend you his GPS for a mileage counter :>) <br />You are constantly on our mind and in our hearts, we know that God is with you and pray that you can feel his arms around you each and every moment.<br />You are amazing - hang in there. <br />HeatherUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02167088530548101283noreply@blogger.com