Christmas & Blessings

I believe this Christmas has been my favorite one, we changed some traditions but I loved it. We had the Sampson family gathering on Christmas Eve, a first for us, with a total of 48 people there, only 17 missing. My grandma counted. :) Christmas Day we headed to the Sampsons again for a lite lunch, like our usual Sunday all my dads siblings, spouses, and some children came. Then for dinner we headed to the McCoy side of the family for Christmas Dinner, which was wonderful! I truly cherish the time we get with our family, I love them so much. They are such a blessing in my life.

On December 23rd I had my appointment with the hand specialist. The doctor confirmed that I had a ganglion cyst and said if I wanted another shot in the hand she could do one but she didn't think it would do anything. (The shot helps less than 50% of the time) So we talked about the other option, surgery, we found out due to the steroid shot I had I would have to wait until the end of January for surgery. 

The doctor left and let mom and I think awhile, a whole month before surgery with a useless dominant hand? I don't even know how long recovery is after surgery. Its hard to think about losing a hand for a long period of time. So the doctor came in a I decided to get the shot. I had a month to wait anyway, might was well try something while we waited. Turns out the shot worked! It exploded my cyst and the cyst is gone. Turns out December 23rd is quite a day for me. Last year I had my gallbladder removed and this year my cyst exploded. A day filled with medical history for me.

My hand is still sore so I'm not back to normal but I can use it more and more as the days progress. I am typing with two hands right now and this morning I wrote a little with my right hand. What wonderful steps! It has been almost three weeks without my dominant hand, I am so thankful to have it back, even if its not fully back yet. 

I am in need of prayers with my hand still, the doctor said that commonly when the shot is used the cyst will regrow anywhere from two weeks to two months. Please be praying that it would not return. On Christmas Eve I felt a bump in my hand again but today its gone again, so I am praying it stays that way. 

My lyme has again been great, it is so nice being out of the transition months of weather, they are so hard on people will pain. December has been warmer than usual and has had less storms and for that my body thankful, although I really love snow! I started my weekend medicine, I am taking one pill on Saturday and Sunday and thus far have been doing well. I am going to up the medicine after New Years so we will see what happens. 

This break from school has come in perfect timing! Like I should expect anything else from my God. I have time to hang out with friends and catch up on the long list of things I let fall during the semester. 

Tomorrow I am headed to an annual conference called FaithWalkers that my church goes to. Its a time where a variety of pastors speak, we get alot of time to worship, learn, eat, and sleep. Usually when the conference is done thats all I feel I have done but I love it a lot! Please be praying the Lord will use this conference in beautiful and challenging ways. For safety in driving to Omaha and soft hearts to learn. Also that my health would hold up and wisdom in when to rest. 

Lastly, my mom has joined the ranks of Lyme Disease. She was diagnosed with lyme just over a week ago.  Our lyme is completely different but we think we were infected at the same time. She started medicine and is doing well, prayerfully she stays that way. I will post more updates on her next week, but please keep her in your prayers. Also Dad, Tera, and Aaron will be getting tested as well, please pray for the results of those tests. May this verse be our hearts cry.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith , being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 1:6-7

Prayer Requests:
*Praise: Ganglion Cyst is gone, pray it would stay gone
*Faithwalkers
*My mom; strength, would cling to the Lord during this time
*I would continue winning the battle of lyme

A New Lefty

Tuesday I completed my last final and today I taught for the last time at Stowe Elementary. I am so excited to be done with my classes although it was bitter sweet to leave my fourth graders. This semester has been a time filled with looking back and wondering how the Lord did it because it was not by my strength. 

Last week I was meditating on this verse:

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory. ~2 Corinthians 4:16-17 

This verse reminded me of my physical body and how lyme disease had victory over me for a long time, my body was decaying daily but due to that decay I have a stronger heart. Due to lyme my heart, my faith, is so much stronger than I could ever have imagined or even asked for. I have said it before but I am so thankful for my lyme and how the Lord has used it to mold me into the woman I am today; though I am still learning to rely step by step on the Lord.  

Thursday last week I was sitting in bible study and my hand started hurting, there was no reason for it to hurt so I felt around where the pain was. I felt a bump and an hour later my hand was completely useless. Its my right hand so I went to the doctor right away, turns out I have a ganglion cyst. The location of it makes my right hand pretty useless. I found it very funny that the same week that I was praising the Lord for my lyme and how He taught me so much through physical 'decay' that He gave me another opportunity to grow and trust Him.

So for a week now I have been a lefty, which is very unnatural for me but God is go gracious. I took two finals with my left hand and do almost everything with my left hand now. This experience has pruned me in so many ways; my attitude, focusing on not complaining and a new way for me to trust the Lord. If you ever feel like you want to serve the body of Christ more or want more treasure in Heaven come on over! I tend to be a very needy person :)

My friends have again been so helpful, things I didn't even think about that I cant do alone anymore. From helping me carry things, doing my hair, washing my hair in the sink, wrapping gifts, writing cards. You name it they have done it and not once complained. I am so THANKFUL for the wonderful men and women that the Lord has placed in my life, they are so sacrificial. 

Thus far there is no ending date for my cyst; I have an appointment scheduled with a surgeon December 23rd. Please be praying for this, due to my lyme the surgeon doesn't want to remove it, they want to mess around with it and see if another way will work but from what my doctor has told me surgery is my next option. Please pray they wouldn't dance around what needs to happen. Its doable but it is hard to live without your dominant hand. 

This last week my lyme has been wonderful! I barely notice it, I have been sleeping well, getting up earlier without an alarm clock, and can do more in a day. You can tell I'm ready for my next level of medicine! I will begin it on Saturday, I am praying it is manageable and I can live life as close to normal as possible. But whatever happens I have confidence the Lord will use it.

Prayer Requests:
*Wisdom for the surgeon with my cyst
*The Lord will continue to teach me through Lyme and my cyst
*That I will use my break wisely

Bear, Believe, Hope, Endure

My appointment went well last week, I really love my doctor and nurse, as time goes by we are building a fun relationship I am so thankful for them! Together we took a look at where I am at now and ideas to get back on track medicine wise. We decided to start up the second level of medicine at a half dose and remain on a half dose. The difficulty I am having is that the medicine is killing so much lyme that it is making me too sick to function. So by keeping it at half dose we are hoping I will be able to remain on it and not have to take another medicine break. 

I am planning on staying on level one and two through the rest of my semester and once finals are done (December 12th) I will begin the third level of antibiotics. Thus far on the second level I am doing fairly well, I have noticed memory problems arising again but we have ordered two new supplements to help me detox and bring down the inflammation in my head. So prayerfully the memory problems will remain small until I can get these supplements, and then they will decrease so I can move on to the third level of medication. 

(Love) Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. ~1 Corinthians 13:7-8a  

I read this verse today and I was reminded of the goodness of the Lord. No matter what we are going through or how pain filled our lives may be we have a God who loves us. Through the strength only the Lord supplies we can bear, believe, hope and endure through all things. I look at my life and I see a lot of pain, the last six years are scarred by lyme disease, and lyme has stolen most of my memory from childhood. I don't remember what it was like to run without pain, or ride my horse without a care, or get up without wondering what was going to hurt that day. I don't remember the luxury of life without pain.

My body is scarred but my heart is so much stronger because of those scars. I like to say my world, my body, was taken away from me and it was only once my physical life was gone that I realized Jesus was my life. He is the only thing that is worth it, the only thing that will last. I was living my life for myself, for horses, school, fun, friends. I was living for everything that is temporary. What do you live your life for? What are you doing today that will last? 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

 ~Romans 6:23

I was putting time and effort into things that would fade, things that produced only death. When lyme took my whole world, as I knew it, I realized something that changed the course of my life forever. This world is temporary but there is one thing that is eternal and that is death. In death we have two options; heaven or hell. I choose heaven, I choose life, I chose to lay down my life for the Lord. Jesus Christ died for us, He died for the imperfect that if we may choose, He would take our place and make us perfect in His eyes. Christ conquered death but that means nothing to you unless you choose to accept the gift of life that He alone offers. It is this decision that changed the course of my life forever in such a wonderful way. 

I may have pain on a daily basis but through the strength of the Lord I will bear, believe, hope and endure through everything this world throws at me. This is temporary, I want to live for the eternal. What is your decision? Have you ever chosen to accept the gift Jesus holds out to you today? Will you let Him change your life? It is not easy but I can tell you hundreds of reasons why it is worth it. 

Prayer Requests:
*That people will genuinely think about this truth
*That I will be able to finish the semester out strong
*That I can remain on level two medicine through the rest of the semester
*Grace in finals-my memory makes tests very difficult
*That I will rejoice daily because of who Christ is, always remembering the precious gift He has given me that He offers to all