As Thessalonians 5:7 references, I have learned to be thankful in all circumstances, these past few months especially. Friday, February 4th, marked a special day for me, and I had the opportunity to celebrate it with great friends. To many, a simple Japanese lunch does not sound so exciting, but for me, it was amazing! I figured I would take this moment of celebration to finally tell many of my friends/family, who have yet to hear, about what has been going on in my life the past few months.
On October 4th, I went to class like every normal Monday. During my first class, I passed out and proceeded to be very sick for the next few weeks. I woke up every morning feeling absolutely horrible and went to doctor after doctor. After several weeks of not getting any better, I finally went back to the doctor. That day, they felt a small mass in my stomach and decided to do an ultrasound. A few days later, after hours of worrying and prayer, I heard the results that nothing abnormal was found in the ultrasound. As exciting as that news should have been, I was also upset because once again, the doctor had no idea what was going on. So, they sent me to a specialist.
After a series of examinations and blood tests, the specialist decided to perform an endocscopy so he could see what was going on inside my stomach. During that procedure, they found several pre-cancerous cells and abnormal tissues. They sent off for several biopsies and told me it would be about ten days before they had any answers. THOSE WERE THE WORST TEN DAYS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!
I am one of the most impatient people in the world, so having to sit around and wait to hear if I had cancer was a very testing experience for me. It was very easy for me to get upset or worry, but God was trying to show me that I needed to find rest in Him and allow Him to work through me. Thankfully, I did not go through those painful ten days alone. I am so grateful for the multitude of friends of family that God surrounded me with during those times. I had people constantly sending me words of encouragement and prayer.
One of my close friends sent me an e-mail that had many Scripture references to give me hope during that time. One in particular, that we often quote but don't really meditate on is James 1:2-3. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
I don't know about you, but during times of trouble, I often do not consider it "pure joy." But, God truly used this testing of my faith to develop perseverance, and to grow me so that I could experience Him and His grace in a whole new way. I truly learned to "be thankful in all circumstances."
When I finally decided to let go and allow God to show up, I got the phone call from the doctor that I was cancer free! Naturally, these words were music to my ear. Throughout that time, I couldn't help but to remember all of the loved ones I have lost to that horrible disease, especially my precious Grandfather who meant more to me than any man in the world. Even though I came out of this experience with good news, God truly used this to continue to break me and mold me. Now, four months later, I can celebrate by eating...which was something I did not get to experience during those months of sickness. There are still a lot of things I cannot eat or drink, but I am thankful.
I pray that God will continue to work through me...and through you. May we all strive to be thankful in all circumstances.
Blessings,
Jen
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Love Is in the Air...
Well, it's that time of year again. Valentine's Day cannot go unnoticed. I'm pretty sure Target started putting out those wretched pink hearts and chocolate boxes months ago. So many of my friends dread this time of year because it reminds them, once again, of their single status. I, however, have always felt the opposite. Not that I enjoy V-Day, I actually think the whole idea is sort of stupid whether you are dating someone or not. But every year, I get together with my closest friends and celebrate solidarity and each other. I mean think about it...for those of you who are single...this is the ONLY time in your life that you will be single. Why do we try to rush things? What is the need in trying to hurry ourselves into the arms of a significant other or a trip down the aisle. ENJOY BEING SINGLE. This is not a deadly diagnosis. Being single has its perks, and after all, the best things in life are worth waiting for. So, get off the couch...put the Ben and Jerry's back in the freezer...go buy something fabulous...and rock this V-Day with a multitude of single people...I know I will be. In the words of Lorelai Gilmore, "Solidarity, sister!"
On that note, let's talk about relationships. As I mentioned in my last post, I am writing this blog for a class and one of the main things we have been discussing is how to work on being better communicators. I find this ironic because it is slightly congenial to one of the goals I made for myself this year. I am not one to don a list of New Year's resolutions. Instead, I try to set goals on areas of my life that I need to work on...not just throughout the year, but permanent changes that need to be made. Well, this year, I decided to work on my relationships. Now, most people hear that word and immediately think of the current McDreamy that inhabits their thoughts. There are, however, other relationships than the ones comprised of boyfriends and girlfriends. Not that those aren't important, but that is certainly not my focus.
Naturally, the first relationship I need to work on is the most important one to me...my relationship with God, Abba Father, my Savior. I have always found it strange that I can grow so close to Him at the beginning of each year as I try to start the year anew and focus solely on Him. However, as the months come along, I always end up falling further and further behind. Through the help of my AMAZING church, Safe Haven Church, I have really been encouraged to "Encounter" God every day as we walk through our sermon series together. I am so grateful for this body of believers and the work that God is doing there. I love everything about SHC and cannot wait to see what is to come for us all in the future. If you are looking for a place to worship our Savior and grow closer to Him, check us out! http://safehavenchurch.com/
This year, I am trying (really hard I might add) to work on my relationships with others. This will not come as a surprise to most, but it has always been REALLY hard for me to befriend girls. I don't know what it is, but I have never been able to get very close to female friends. So, one of my main goals was to work on that. After moving to Tuscaloosa in August, I met an awesome girl named Casey at the BCM on campus. She has basically been my saving grace these past few months, and we will be living together come July. Although we have become very close, I was really trying to make other "girl" friends. Throughout the past few months and even weeks, I have grown very close to other ladies that I have met through Safe Haven Church. We get together at least once a week (sometimes more) and have a great time. Just having these ladies to fellowship with, talk to about life, and encourage and pray for one another is a tremendous help and I greatly look forward to our "girl time."
As well as my relationship with God and other girls, I am also trying to grow closer to my family and old friends. I have been really bad about not keeping touch with these precious people as I moved throughout the past few years. I am hoping that I will get better at communicating and spending time with my family and friends that I have had for years, but often forget to talk to. I know that sounds horrible, but it is so true. I often just forget to talk to people. I don't realize how long it has been since our last conversation, and I will let it go on for months unintentionally. What can I say? I am a work in progress.
So, instead of being depressed this Valentine's Day, think about all of the relationships you do have. Which ones could you be working on?
On that note, let's talk about relationships. As I mentioned in my last post, I am writing this blog for a class and one of the main things we have been discussing is how to work on being better communicators. I find this ironic because it is slightly congenial to one of the goals I made for myself this year. I am not one to don a list of New Year's resolutions. Instead, I try to set goals on areas of my life that I need to work on...not just throughout the year, but permanent changes that need to be made. Well, this year, I decided to work on my relationships. Now, most people hear that word and immediately think of the current McDreamy that inhabits their thoughts. There are, however, other relationships than the ones comprised of boyfriends and girlfriends. Not that those aren't important, but that is certainly not my focus.
Naturally, the first relationship I need to work on is the most important one to me...my relationship with God, Abba Father, my Savior. I have always found it strange that I can grow so close to Him at the beginning of each year as I try to start the year anew and focus solely on Him. However, as the months come along, I always end up falling further and further behind. Through the help of my AMAZING church, Safe Haven Church, I have really been encouraged to "Encounter" God every day as we walk through our sermon series together. I am so grateful for this body of believers and the work that God is doing there. I love everything about SHC and cannot wait to see what is to come for us all in the future. If you are looking for a place to worship our Savior and grow closer to Him, check us out! http://safehavenchurch.com/
This year, I am trying (really hard I might add) to work on my relationships with others. This will not come as a surprise to most, but it has always been REALLY hard for me to befriend girls. I don't know what it is, but I have never been able to get very close to female friends. So, one of my main goals was to work on that. After moving to Tuscaloosa in August, I met an awesome girl named Casey at the BCM on campus. She has basically been my saving grace these past few months, and we will be living together come July. Although we have become very close, I was really trying to make other "girl" friends. Throughout the past few months and even weeks, I have grown very close to other ladies that I have met through Safe Haven Church. We get together at least once a week (sometimes more) and have a great time. Just having these ladies to fellowship with, talk to about life, and encourage and pray for one another is a tremendous help and I greatly look forward to our "girl time."
As well as my relationship with God and other girls, I am also trying to grow closer to my family and old friends. I have been really bad about not keeping touch with these precious people as I moved throughout the past few years. I am hoping that I will get better at communicating and spending time with my family and friends that I have had for years, but often forget to talk to. I know that sounds horrible, but it is so true. I often just forget to talk to people. I don't realize how long it has been since our last conversation, and I will let it go on for months unintentionally. What can I say? I am a work in progress.
So, instead of being depressed this Valentine's Day, think about all of the relationships you do have. Which ones could you be working on?
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