Jehovah-Raah...The Lord is My Shepherd

The Lord is My Shepherd, I Have All I Need (Psalm 23:1, NLT)

How many of us can say those words and really mean them? In Jesus, I have all I need.

It is so easy to become caught up in the world's ideal of more...more money...more house...more stuff. King David tells us that, as sheep, our Shepherd is all we need.

The role of the Shepherd is demanding. The Shepherd must live with his flock at all times. He must be able to understand and predict what the sheep need better than they do. He goes before them and searches out the best path for them to travel and find nourishment. He understands the threats to their health and well being. He knows how to protect and watch over them. He works tirelessly to provide for them. His entire life is his flock.

As a result, his sheep recognize and trust his voice. They will follow ONLY his voice.


As the Lord's "flock", we also have certain sheep-like tendencies:
We are often foolish and irrational. We are slow to learn. Life lessons can be painful, and if we are not careful, we can become ensnared in our poor choices. We are often stubborn and demanding. We want our own way and fool ourselves into believing that we are totally independent. Our inflated sense of self can cause us to wander off the path Jesus has chosen for us and leave us in need of rescue.

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

"If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?" (Luke 15:4)

Jesus, our Shepherd, was not only willing to search and call for us, He was willing to sacrifice His life for ours.

Listen closely.
Hear only His voice.
Follow only the path He lays out for you.

Jesus is our Shepherd - In Him, we have ALL we need.

Blessings,
Mandy

Praise in All Circumstances - New Chemo Time

I received notice last week that our prayers to heal the cdiff infection were answered.
In the dressing room at Dillards I repeated "Thank you Jesus" over and over. The poor sales lady probably thought I'd just found the perfect pair of jeans.

With this good news, we were able to pack up and go to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my family. We enjoyed a precious week with them. Even with an extra day due to an ice storm, our time there was over much too quickly.

During our stay, my oncologist office phoned to schedule my new chemo regimen. On December 9, I will begin treatment. Once every 21 days, I will go to the cancer center in Phoenix to receive my Avastin infusion. I will also be taking a chemo called Cytoxan once a day via an oral pill. I have done this same regimen before and remember well the side effects. Let's just say, the memories are not fond ones. I will be spending alot of time "home bound" due to low white blood counts. Especially this time of year, being around large crowds of people can be very dangerous. Even a slight cold can turn critical quickly. I have been stocking up on Christmas movies, coloring books and e-books to keep myself entertained.

While in Texas, I had to have one of the hardest conversations I've ever had with my Dad. I have been working on my Living Will and Medical Power of Attorney. I have to have two people who are willing and able to execute my Advanced Directives if the time comes when I cannot advocate for myself. Jay, of course, is my primary advocate. I want my second advocate to be my Daddy. So, with tears in both our eyes, I asked....he agreed. After a long, teary hug, we do what we Durr's do best. Shake it off, man up and move forward.

Now begins the physical, mental and spiritual preparations. The tumors are growing. There are two that I can see through the skin in my abdomen. One has been present for a while. It has just been in the last week that we are able to see the second one. They are growing larger and the pain is growing stronger. We have been working to control the pain, but it will be a trial and error process.

As we proceed next week, as always, we covet your prayers. Thank you to all our prayer warriors. We thank God for you and we give Him glory in all circumstances.

Blessings,
Mandy