Mission To Alabama....December 28, 2015

We have made it safely to Tuscaloosa , Alabama!!!!! We have met with our friend Peter and have our work orders for tomorrow.

Yesterday we left about 1:00pm from Rock Creek. We traveled to Farmington, MO, just south of St Louis where we stayed overnight.

Today  we got up EARLY!!!! And headed out. We arrived in Memphis, Tennessee  in time for lunch....and when in Memphis, there is only one thing to do! Eat Memphis style BBQ...on Beale Street!!

Which we did and it was delicious! Maybe more on that later....here are some pics of the group.
Then we visited the National Civil Rights Museum. For sure it was one of the highlights of the day for us. The museum includes the Lorraine Motel, the location where Martin Luther King Jr. was assented in 1968.

Tomorrow starts early, so time to go to sleep......

To be continued.....

Best Christmas Present Ever!!!!

Hi Everyone!!!!

Had a good report at the doctors yesterday! The chemo (unicorn juice) and snickerdoodles worked! Tumors and yucky things have shrunk....Surgery is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 8th at Gundersen Lutheran in LaCrosse. More detailed scheduling on Monday. Looking at a 3-4 day stay at the hospital. Then an 8 week recovery. The bad news is that we have to cancel our con ed trip to Florida and Disney World. The Dr. said no and she meant it!    :(

Still a long road ahead. May have to have 3 more rounds of a different unicorn juice (chemo cocktail) but we have to wait for the pathology reports.

We are so thankful for so much.... the prayers and support that we have received from everyone,,,,,having a peek at the miracles that God preforms every day......the conversations with people that never would have happened......and the becoming aware of the blessings that we were taking forgranted. 

Have a Merry Christmas! 

Blessings Abound,

Elayne W

I have always been fascinated with train tracks! My grandma lived a block from the tracks, Every afternoon when I stayed there Grandpa would take us up to the tracks so we could wave at the Engineer and the Conductor. It was in the days when there was a caboose..... I always thought that it would be fun to ride on the train to see where it would go....It did not occur to me that it went from Mason City to Marquette, unload and then go back :)

i look at this picture and think about how life is like a railroad track....most of the time it is clear sailing....but then there are the detours and the flat out derailments.....For my family and I this has been a year of derailments, but it also has been a year of blessings and smooth sailing. In spite of everything, blessings abound! Thanks be to God! Thank you for your prayers and support....and your continued prayers and support!

Soli Deo Gloria!

We wait!

It has been a good week. Lots of things going on. Health wise, I have had a cough and cold, that has not been much fun. We wait for appointments next week when we will hopefully hear some good news about how we will proceed. We pray, we wait....kinda like Advent.....

On a happier note, we wait:

•  for the 21st when the days get longer.
• the end of the month mission trip to Alabama
• Christmas day....cause we are kids
• and the 18th so we can see the new Star Wars Movie....the marathon with the old ones has begun!

The Gathered Body of Christ....

Today Cross Roads Lutheran Parish  gathered in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..... It was a glorious day! It was not such an unusual day....It was the second Sunday in Advent.....The choir amassed and sang, the shepherds arrived at the stable, and it was the first Sunday that with proper paperwork and permission I presided over communion at Rock Creek and Faith.....I did not expect that simple or not so simple act to have such a powerful effect on me, but it did.

The Holy Supper should never be taken for granted....and I never thought that I did. But one of the unintended consequences of serving in this parish, is that as a non ordained Communion was offered where the ordained person was.....Because I am consecrated and not ordained, (or not pastorized as some of our members call me) it was not part of my call to preside over communion. And since  I was not usually in the place where communion was being offered, I was never able to commune with the congregations. That changed today.

All went well...until I started thinking....yikes....yup, that always gets me into trouble. I thought about how blessed I am to serve these amazing congregations, how much I have come to love these people, and then I lost it......

Tears started streaming down my face and my already horse voice became even more broken....All because I was overwhelmed with the simple or not so simple act of Holy Communion. Being connected through space and time with all those who have gone before, are here now, and who are yet to be. 

I am so thankful for the NEIA Synod Council and office of the Bishop for approving the paperwork so that I can commune with the congregations  that I serve.....I means the world to me.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Look What Came in the Mail Today......

This piece of mail, Made My Week!

First of all, to my Medical Team.....with gratitude and thanks for living your call to serve others...even when it is hard, ugly, uncomfortable, painful, and difficult.....You have taught me that a cookie and bubbles can fix anything.....

!


We are far from the "end of the tunnel where  we can see the light", but it is getting closer. and if we look closely...we can see it from here!  If you were wondering, There were some unexpected tears....I am now looking for a frame to hang this baby on the wall! Thank you to everyone who has joined the journey with us....

....and we wait!

One of the things that one learns quickly in the unplanned adventure....is not to plan anything. Or if you do, be prepared for the change in plans....

That is where we are now....waiting. Later this month we will go and have the CT scan and then meet with the doctors for the results.We pray enough progress has been made and the sticky spot is in remission. That being said, my surgeon is out of town for Christmas so one way or another, no surgery until January.

That means I am able to go to Alabama for the mission trip after Christmas....excited about that!!!!

So again we wait to find out the results of the past six months of work.....

Soli Deo Gloria!

We have Sinckerdoodles!!!!

Definatly Worth the Wait!!!!

Finally! Snickerdoodles!

So, you may have heard, Unicorn Treatment #6 and FINAL!!! (hopefully) happened last week in Chair # 4....All went well, as can be expected anyway. Platelet counts were up and I was feeling pretty well.  Ya, there six of us :) After we celebrated with my other favorite thing....BUBBLES! The certificate is in the mail.....All the girls went.....Becky, Mom, Rachel, Laurie, and Kamryn.

You might think that a possey would be new or different...It was not, in fact we had one of the smaller groups. Since school was off and others did not work, they all came to Infusion to sit with their person. It was really important to me that Kamryn was a part of all of this. She was captivated by the puzzle shelf and spent most of her time there.  I don't think we need to worry about a career in the medical field for her. She really did not seem interested, but she watched everything.....she is stealthy like that.

So when it came time for the cookie.....I got a cookie, a really good peanut butter and M&M one. Actually I had 2....they were that good! But I was still craving a Snickerdoodle! So through the week I would find a recipe and leave assorted cookbooks open to the super simple recipes....

I have to admit I had a rough week....there was the usual chemo fog, limpness, spaghetti arms, exhaustion, achey, and lack of comfort.....this week we added some gastro fun that I will spare you the details....We also added a respiratory virus...yup that was fun. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were especially quiet, since it hurt to talk....so I missed some meetings and gatherings that I was looking forward to :(    Missing 3-4 fun things in 6 months is not too bad I thought....

So needless to say, I did not feel like baking myself a batch of Snickerdoodles....The open cookbooks reminded me that I have a dream!....and everyone should have  a dream! This week mine is to munch on a cinnamminie sweet cookie that explodes with flavor and and a party in your mouth....

I cannot explain what has me so obsessed with the tiny sugar cookie....I never really noticed them before....perhaps it is just the taste changes in my mouth....and there is something uncomplicated about the simple and sweet taste of the unassuming Snickerdoodle....

So today, I choose one of the twenty-five or so recipes that I picked and mixed it up....and now we wait for the dough to chill, so we can bake them into the crispy gooie goodness known as a Snickerdoodle!

Snickerdoodles

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup soft crisco
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. 
   
2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Chill the dough.
3. 
   
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. 
   
6. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
7. 
   
8. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
9. 
   
10. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings Abound on this day and everyday! We just have to look...sometimes we have to look a little harder....Tomorrow we are scheduled for the final unicorn Juice (chemo) treatment....hopefully the platelets have been busy growing. But I have caught an unwelcome bug...no fever....so maybe we can proceed....we will see.

Stuffing, corn, and Brussel sprouts are in the oven and rolls are baked and ready to go....Soon we will all gather at Grandma's house....you know over the river and through the woods! Blessings Abound!

Change of Plans! No Snickerdoodles Today!

Thanks to all you for the prayers and support.....No Snickerdoodles today! Treatment # 6 of Unicorn Juice postponed until next week cut to platelet count tanking....Doctors say that it is what happens as the chemo destroys the good cells and cancer cells. It can't tell the difference. The positive, awesome thing is that I can enjoy Thanksgiving and all the fun.....might even be able to taste the food.


I am now scheduled for Friday, Black Friday! so no shopping for me....That is fine, I don't do Black Friday anyway. I am afraid I might loose my driver tho :)


Thank you so much to Becky for being my driver and escort. Thanks for the awesome conversation. We are so blessed to have you in our family! Praying that the snow misses the airport on Saturday so you and Kris can fly safely to Miami, Florida to enjoy your grand prize trip....


Blessings! Elayne

The Lost Shoe

Another and final Radio Devotion

I lost my ONE of my most favorite, comfortable shoes….I did Not loose both of them, just the one, the left one…….. I joked with my husband that I really am Cinderella, except that my prince did not find the lost shoe, he didn’t think that was funny.

I have looked everywhere for it, I looked under the bed, I found a lot of   dust bunnies, an earing, some socks that have been missing since last spring, but no shoe….

I looked in the laundry room, lots of dirty laundry, but no shoe.

I looked in the bathroom, no shoe.

I looked in the closet…why would a shoe be in the closet….it was not, but there were a few other shoes in there, but not my favorite, most comfortable one.

I still don’t know where that shoe is. I need it now that the weather is getting colder and I am the kind of person that when I find a comfy shoe, that is what I wear ALL THE TIME. I don’t have hundreds of shoes….I don’t need hundreds of shoes….some people do and that is ok…..All summer and during this wonderful, warm fall, I have been wearing my sandals, and have not been wearing that pair of shoes……, but it was raining on this day and I needed my shoe…

I will not give up looking for it, I know it is somewhere in my house and eventually it will turn up and I will not stop looking until it is found….

Kind of reminds me of a story…..about a shepherd, a herd of sheep and this one sheep who got lost.

Once there was a shepherd who had a herd of 100 sheep. The shepherd’s job was to make sure all the sheep were safe, healthy, and that no harm would come to them. As long as they were together they would all be protected.

But one day, one of the sheep wandered into the wilderness. Just one…how important was just one? After all there still were 99 sheep left in the safety of the fold.

The shepherd did an amazing thing, the shepherd went into the wilderness, found the missing sheep and brought that ONE home again.

There are a couple of things that amaze me about this story. The first is how the shepherd could leave the 99. Was he not concerned about them? Of course he was….but they were together and they were safe. There is safety in numbers, that was how the shepherd could leave for a little while….he left them together and they were safe. That is why Christians gather together regularly to worship and praise God on Sunday morning AND in all the other times that the Body is gathered. That is why congregations of the faithful are so important.

The second thing is how much the shepherd cared about that one sheep…..it was not because that sheep was the most special, or most talented, or destine to do great things…..that sheep was ordinary …. And it could have been any one of the other 99 sheep.

The shepherd would have gladly went and found any of them, one at a time. So why did the shepherd do that, why would the shepherd risk injury to himself, to go into that dangerous place for an ordinary, stubborn, smelly, stupid, sheep that wandered off.…He went because of love.  He went because he loved each one of those sheep that much. In the shepherd’s eyes each of those sheep were special, needed, and loved.

God loves each of us that much too. God is with us in the good times and has gone ahead of us into the bad….

And when we are lost and when we wander away, God looks for us until we are found….just like a favorite shoe.

Giving Thanks….

In our congregations we talk a lot about faith practices….Faith practices for us come out of the promises that are made by parents, sponsors, and the congregation to God as we come to the baptismal font.

These practices are prayer, study, worship, invite, give, encourage, and serve. All of these things, through the grace of God, have helped me and many others, to grow in faith, have the courage to follow, and answer the call to serve.

They are all important and it is hard to choose just one to talk about…..but today I choose to talk about “Giving”.

There are three ways to give….though our time, through our talents, and through our treasures.

When we think about giving, we might first think in terms of our treasures-our money and things that we can donate, buy, and give. But we also give back through our talents and vocation. Using our job as a way to serve God. It changes how we view our daily work. That in all of our jobs we are serving God’s people. And sometimes we run into God’s people who are not very nice….but with God’s help, we love them anyway!

The third way to give is through the giving of our time. Spending time with others, be it our family, friends, or a total strangers. Time is a gift, you can spend it however you choose. But when you spend your time in service to others….it is a win for everyone.

We give back, because it is God who gave it to us in the first place…

There is a great video that you can find on You Tube called God’s Pies….It opens with a table full of people who are playing the part of the things that take our time, treasure, and talents. And then there is the guy that has this great looking pie named ‘ME”. Me starts cutting up the pie and passing it out…..Me cuts the first piece and gives it to the “house”. House got at least a quarter of the pie….and then he cuts two more pieces and gives it to “car 1 and car 2”. They dig into the pie right away…..And then he cuts a piece for “fashion”, a rather large piece for them as well as a rather large piece for “hobbies”….The pie is quickly dwindling……credit card asks for interest on their large piece of pie….“education” is sleeping but gets a few crumbs….and then the dude dishes up the last sliver of pie and sits in the place marked “ME”.  He then proceeds to start enjoying his slice of delicious pie…..When he notices that everyone is staring at him. And as he looks around, notices that he has sat down next to “God” and given God nothing…… the guy squirms in his chair, and tries to hide from God, but “ME” continues to eat, faster…..All the things that take up our time are starting at the guy in total shock….finally one of them points out, “Dude, he brought the pie” and points to God…..

God provides us with all that we have, all that we are, and all that we EVER will be. God asks us to give back…Tithing or giving 10% has been a practice since ancient times. It is a practice for me personally, that has been a source of joy in my life.

If we look around we might see all the negative stuff in the world….it is ugly and painful …but when we look again, we notice that God has been generous and gracious, especially this year. If we feel that we have been blessed with bumper crops and favorable weather. Friends and family, love and security. Then it is our obligation to pay it forward and help those who did not have such a great year. And so many do….Thanks for all that you do, all that you give, and all that you are….Thanks be to God!