{All the Poor & Powerless}

I just wanted to share...

(If you watch it here on my blog you will want to scroll to the bottom and "mute" my other music. :-)

Chemo #10......{Come Undone}

I have always loved this song - even before I was diagnosed. Pretty crazy how things turn out sometimes. I haven't posted a new song in a while and this one has been on my heart for a long time. Finally, tonight I just really felt called to post it. It seems to describe what I am going through {tonight especially} fairly well.

I hope you enjoy it.





As I come in and out of the "chemo coma" as I call it in the most affectionate way possible I don't really have the strength for a long post - I apologize for that. You may just see "baby posts" for the next couple of days if I have the strength. (Some of you are probably cheering right now as you are tired of my long ramblings. :-)

The treatments are becoming increasingly harder. My body is weak and I have to rely on Jason to even get me out of bed right now.

My spirits are good though... I just feel like there is so much work to be done. In fact, I started crying today because I want to get on with the work I am feeling like I am being called to do and yet I am stuck in bed. Jason saw me crying and Jason asked me what was wrong and so I told him. His extremely loving and supportive answer just touched my heart.....

Jason: "So, what are you doing just laying there?"

You have to love this man. I do. He made me laugh.

I know God has his timing in all things and he wants me to fully recover. In the beginning I felt this peace about it being 4-6 months and then I would be well again. I still believe that. It is just hard when you see so much work to be done and so many people to help. But God does have the perfect timing and so I will wait as patiently as possible for him to finally tell me to "go" and I will go. (Hey, that is another song...)

Talk to you soon my friends. Love you all!

~Andrea

By Your Side...

This is a song that is very near and dear to my heart. After we lost our baby boy I would listen to it and just cling to the lyrics....I still do.

Love this Song....

This is another special song for both Jason and me. My favorite part of the song is at the end when it says:

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

I love this part because I can just see Jason praying this very same prayer asking for the strength and wisdom to lead our family as God has called him too. I am so blessed to be married to a man who seeks that Lord as he does.

It is also incredible to hear and read all of the testimonies of the couples who say God used this song to restore their marriage. It never ceases to amaze me how God works and the things He decides to use to touch someone's life. 

Anyway, give it a listen. Most of you have probably heard it but for those of you who haven't - hopefully you will enjoy it.

Blessings to all!
~Andrea

Just a Quick Note...

I am just writing a quick note to let you all know that we are still alive. I was able to make it to church today and it was so nice to see so many of our friends. I have been going to church on Saturday nights when I have been able to go and so I have missed a lot of the 10:30am Sunday goers.

I am getting ready for my next treatment on Wednesday. This will be #5 for me - it is actually kind of hard to believe that I will have made it through that many of them.

I am struggling with my energy level. I just get plain tired. I find that I will get little bursts of energy and I know when those come along that I better take full advantage because I don't last long. But as someone so graciously reminded me today - this is just a season.

I wanted to share another song with you that really touch me this week. I have always loved this song and when I really needed a pick-me-up this week God so faithfully provided this very song for me. This song is by Jeremy Camp and he wrote this after his wife passed away from cancer. Anyway, I am sure most of you have already heard it but may just want to take a moment and worship the Lord through this song as I did this week.



Wishing you many blessings today and always,
Andrea

Day 46: I Will Overcome

Saturday I rested a lot. The previous days activities had really worn me out. But, I was determined to go to church. I had not been in 2 weeks. The kids were all sick 2 weeks ago and then I had a rough chemo treatment the week prior- I was definitely missing it. Travis, our Worship Pastor, played a song that I don't listen to often. I have kindly linked it below so you can listen as well. But before that I wanted to give you the lyrics. I was actually really surprised at how close this song described my physical, mental, and spiritual condition. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

And I can see that my hands are trembling, I can see that my legs are weak
I can see that my head is spinning, but I will overcome
And I know that my heart is hurting, And I know that my soul it aches
And I know that it seems I'm failing, but I will overcome, yeah

Chorus:
O Lord I'm strong in You, O Lord I am wise in You
O Lord I can see in You, so I will overcome
O Lord I'm loved by You, O Lord I am free in you
O Lord I'm complete in You
So I will overcome, I will overcome, I will overcome

Bridge:
God listen to me shout, I'm so far from anywhere and I'm calling out
Lead me, lead me to the rock that is higher than I
You're my breath, You're my breath, You're my very life
Infinite, Holy King meets weak and frail Christ in me
And I will overcome not by my strength but by Your grace and love 

Attention: For Those Who Have Boys........{Boys (Lesson One) - Jars of Clay}

My friend Leah and I were able to see a Jars of Clay concert 2 years or so ago (wow, it didn't seem to be that long ago.) This is one, if not the, favorite song of the night for me. At the time we did not have Kearyn and so I was exclusively a "boys mom" and proud of it. :-) I heard this song and it just touched my heart. I want so badly for my boys to learn these lessons in life. For all of you who have boys - I think you will enjoy it. For all of you who have raised your boys - maybe it will be a way for you to look back fondly at the years you were able to teach these lessons. Regardless, I hope you enjoy.

For those of you who are receiving this by email, once again you will have to go the the blog to listen. I hope it is worth it.

Day 40: Praise You In This Storm

(For you receiving this by email, to hear the song you will need to actually go to the blog to do so. It is also helpful if you "mute" my background music once you get there which is located all the way at the bottom of the blog. I hope this is helpful.)

I was listening to my music today and I heard this song, which is one of my favorites, and a flood of memories washed over me. I have always really liked this song. To me, it is the ultimate worship of God, praising Him in a storm. Isn't it so much easier to praise Him when things are going "just right"? At least for me it always has been.

Although I have listened to this song many times, the first time I really heard this song happened in a car ride shortly after we lost our baby boy in April of 2009. I remember so vividly - it came on the radio and I just started crying. The pain was still so very fresh and I just felt like God was telling me this was what I needed to do. Praise HIM in this storm.

Since that time, I have rarely been able to listen to this song without at least tearing up. I think of my son in Heaven, waiting for me with his 4 other brothers and sisters. I think of the pain of that time in my life and how I never knew if I would fully recover or not.

Well, I have never fully recovered and I know I never will. But I can also say that I don't know if I want to. No longer feeling that pain would mean that I would somehow forget and I never want to forget the baby that I only got to hold one time. I am a different person for what I went through then and I am a different person for what I am going through now. But despite it all, I am still praising God in this storm as I praised Him in the last.

I know many of your are in "storms" right now. Some of you have recently had or have a family member who has had a miscarriage, like Jason and I endured so many times. Some of you, like me, were just diagnosed with an illness or are battling some sort of injury. Some of you are having trouble in a relationship - marriage or otherwise. Some of you are having financial struggles. It doesn't really matter what the "storm" is - it is still a storm in your life and therefore it is meaningful to not only you but to God as well.

You see, through all of this, I have never doubted God's love for me. I have been certain of that, if nothing else, continually. I have so many things before me to remind me of His love. I have my husband and my four beautiful children. I have my family and friends that remind me of His love through your kind words and loving gestures. These are the things that I cling to during the storm.

I pray that if you are listening to this song for the first time that it touches your heart as it has touched mine. I pray that if you have listened to this song before that you will be able to "hear" it on an entirely different level now. I pray that no matter what storm you are in right now - large or small - that you continue to feel God's love and are able to praise Him in the storm. God bless you all. ~Andrea

Believe in God

I just had to share this. This is one of the dear sweet girls that we have gotten to know through the youth group. She actually wrote this song for Jason and me.

 I am not going to lie, I cried like a baby when I heard it. It is so encouraging to me to see how these kids that Jason and I love so very much have reached out to us in their own way. We have received cards, scripture, letters, others have blogged about us on their own blogs, we received a video that one of the girls made for us, some of the boys shaved their heads, lots of hugs, one young man texts Jason at least twice a week to check on me (and he is only 15), and Nikki wrote a song for us. I know the list goes on and on.

I just want you all to know these things and be so encouraged at what this next generation is doing. Jason and I see it each and every day and if that doesn't give you hope, I don't know what will. I know I have talked about child-like faith before and these young people demonstrate it every single day and I could not be more proud and I know God is too.




For those of you who have subscribed to this and are reading this via email, I think you will have to go to the actual blog to watch the video. You will also want to pause my music playing in the background too. You can do this by scrolling all the way to the bottom and pushing the pause button on the little music player thing.

Love you all!
Andrea

Another Song Close to My Heart..........MADAGASCAR 2 'BIG AND CHUNKY' VIDEO WITH LYRICS

This is a song that I have been meaning to share with you for a while as it is one that we often sing around our house. I finally just had to do it because randomly Ky broke out in song only he sings the line as "I like them FUNKY". It is so darn cute! For all of you who know Ky and his big blue eyes, imagine him singing "I like them big, I like them round, I like them funky....." and doing a little dance all the while. If that doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will.