I mentioned it in an earlier post . . . when you receive a diagnosis like ovarian cancer and then are set up with a treatment plan, this comes with a variety of possible side effects. You need to be prepared for just about anything! And while some of those lovely complications showed up after my first treatment, a few new entries joined the list after round 2. I have to say that this past week has been much more debilitating than after round 1. Gratefully, I’m now getting my strength back, and starting to feel more “normal” again (it’s a new normal, but I’ll take it!). Fatigue was a…

There are parts of this journey that include battles which we can prepare for in advance, and other parts that show up as “sneak attacks” from the enemy. This week, I experienced at least one of each. Early in the week the unexpected attack came as my hair began falling out. Even if you hear advice from others and read on the subject extensively, you really can’t know or understand how difficult this is until it’s actually happening. So for a few days, I had moment-by-moment, desperate, “what do I do now, Lord?” conversations. Of course, He answered in abundance, and was so faithful with every step.  But having January…

This was a post I was inwardly hoping I wouldn’t ever write. Sure I was told at the beginning of this journey that a probable side effect from the treatment I’m having would be the loss of my hair. For most women, and this definitely applies to me, our hair is an important part of who we are. Face it, it’s one of the first things you see when you look at someone! And I have always had fun with my hair. Take a moment and absorb the photo below. 🙂 I’ve always had an abundance of hair. Remember Roseanne Roseannadanna? (If not, google her). Back in the day, my…

First, the hat. This was from a birthday party given for me about 3 years ago, and honestly, I don’t remember the total significance of it except we had just returned from a trip to Paris and there’s an Eiffel Tower on top. My buddies made a “crown” for the Birthday Queen . . . and this was the beautiful creation they came up with!  For any of you that know me, you know I am a girl who loves birthdays. I love to celebrate others, and I love to be celebrated myself. Dick and I laugh because on his birthday, I’ve learned that if we go out to a…

First, for those who have been commenting on these blog posts – thank you! I read each and every comment, sometimes multiple times, and they are so inspiring and uplifting to me. I probably won’t get in the habit of “liking them” or replying a whole lot, but just know your kind, encouraging voices are being heard.  For about 5 years, I was privileged to be on staff as the Worship Minister at the Church at Woodbine in Nashville. Our church was one of 8 campuses affiliated with Brentwood Baptist Church, and every two weeks each of the campus WL’s would gather together for a time of sharing (What new songs…

We’ve all watched those well-produced pharmaceutical commercials with healthy, laughing vibrant people (Are there really folks out there who are THAT happy about using a certain kind of medicine?). After you’ve had about 30 seconds of learning how you might be helped, you’re inundated with a multitude of medical disclaimers. You may hear something like this: Side effects can include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, weight gain, headache, dizziness, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, toes falling off, hair turning green, etc. . . . (and this is said at break-neck speed where words are an absolute blur).  As we began our journey of chemotherapy, it was a similar scenario. Dick and…

Most of you know that one of the areas Dick and I have spent our whole 45 years of marriage involved in is songwriting. We laugh about some of our earliest creations, grateful we have grown in skill, depth, and discernment! What we might have thought was “a pretty good song” back in 1980 looks a lot different in 2026. (I remember one in particular we wrote that had no real “hook”. It just meandered with a lot of rhyming thoughts. We couldn’t think of a good title, so we just called it “Prayer”. Sad.) We’ve always been committed to write about what we know about. We have crafted every…

One of my favorite parts of the story of David and Goliath is found in 1 Samuel 17:48 – “As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.” Why is the running part not brought out every time that story is taught in Sunday School? (At least I don’t remember it). What a picture of faith! Not faith in David, faith in his God. We see that expressed a few verses earlier: “But David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God…

You may have noticed the Hebrew word “Shamar” in the heading for this blog. It is truly a meaningful word to me. If you read Psalm 121 (which I highly recommend), and you look into the original Hebrew translation, you will find Shamar in 6 different places – v. 3, 4, 5, twice in verse 7, and again in verse 8. In English, the translation can sound a bit casual and unimportant – “The Lord will keep you, the Lord is your Keeper . . . ” But in reality, this word means, “The Lord will guard your life, watch over, take charge over.” The example that comes to my…

“He knows the way that I take, and when He has tested me I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) Even as I title this first post, “The Beginning”, I’m so aware that though Dick and I found out about this diagnosis on Dec. 4, 2025, our loving, all-powerful, sovereign, faithful God was not made aware of it on that day. Psalm 139:16 says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” How comforting it is to know that the Lord was not surprised by this news. One bit. Initially, I was having a few “digestive issues” and because…