Best News (Possibly Ever!)

 

American Goldfinch pondering his next move

After waiting for 15 days post-surgery I finally have my pathology results. The lymph nodes were all negative and the margins were clear. What this means right now is I don't have to do any radiation treatments. Most likely will not have to do chemotherapy, but I can't rule it out yet.  Pathology confirmed the type of cancer being invasive lobular carcinoma (LCIS) with the greatest size being about 12 mm in the right breast.  The official staging would then be called Stage 1 Breast Cancer.  We will be following up with a medical oncology team in St. Louis with Washington University Physicians/Siteman Cancer Center. There is another test we are once again waiting on to help make that decision for or against chemotherapy.  Determining if chemotherapy is necessary is a very complex and layered decision.  Each case of cancer is treated specifically to patient needs, diagnostic test results, and the wisdom of a team of oncology doctors. Although the news I received today is excellent I still don't know what the future weeks and months may look like. We will also be exploring the possibility of hormone therapy.  We did see the plastic surgeon doctor and everything is healing and moving along as expected.  I was thankfully able to get the drain tubes out today.  I'm still not driving and am very limited in my upper body movements.  So for now, I'm home following the doctor's orders to rest and heal.            

Northern Cardinal and a Rose Breasted Grossbeak search for seeds on the ground

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

So I'm trying to focus on what I can do and not what I want to do.  They are entirely two different things. I know it sounds crazy but I love to clean.  For some reason, it gives me great satisfaction and joy to complete a cleaning job.  As I have been home for 2 weeks now I see all the cleaning projects that need to be done. The thing is, I can't do them myself. Another day. So instead I'm trying to focus on what I can do. I do close my eyes a lot and that is okay also.  I have fixed myself a corner seat by the window in my living room.  Last weekend I got the boys to get me a new bird feeder.   It is amazing how many birds have visited the feeder in just 4 days' time.  They are spunky, fast, and beautiful creatures.  So diverse in color, shape, and size.  They are wild and free. Not a care in the world. There is an obvious pecking order around the feeder. The sounds of birds singing and chirping can be heard as the breeze blows through the newly outstretched leaves of the pin oak and redbud trees. Some of the seed falls to the ground and the birds swarm the grass below in search of a tasty morsel.  It reminds me of the parable of the sower. Couldn't you spare to hear some good news? Let me tell you about the best Good News ever. 

One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him:

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 Luk 8:5

“A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.

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 Luk 8:6

Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture.

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 Luk 8:7

Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants.

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 Luk 8:8

The parable explained:

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 Luk 8:11

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“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word.

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 Luk 8:12

The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.

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 Luk 8:13

The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.

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 Luk 8:14

The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.

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 Luk 8:15

The question is what type of ground do you possess? What is your soil like? There are four options:

1. Footpath or wayside -- distractions of this world are overshadowing the truth and you lose faith.

2, Rocky ground --roots can't go deep and are swayed by the temptations of this world.

3. Thorns- pushed away due to cares, riches, and pleasures in life.

4.  Good soil -- fruit will come in season   

It's a matter of the soil of your heart. Are you hearing this? God's word is the seed.  

It depends on the soil condition of your heart for the seed to bring forth fruit. Everyone hears the message. 

It depends on what you do with the seed. Fruit comes when the harvest is ready -- that is a season.  Notice that

patience is required for the harvest. Patience, I have come to find out has a close cousin: waiting.

The harvest is coming. 

Blue Jay

And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”