Thank you for your prayers

Thank you for your prayers. 

Jackie is out of surgery-they found no blockage and 

they DID NOT have to put a stint in. She is getting 

ready to get discharged now. 

She is going to be staying the night in Buffalo at a 

sister's house of the people who took her to 

Buffalo to rest and make sure everything is ok before 

they go back home. Praising God for His grace and 

mercy today. Not sure why her stress test came back 

so bad now is the only thing. Keep praying. She can 

now reschedule her surgery on the tumors in her neck.

Thank you for your prayers,  not only for Jackie but for my family as well.  God is so good-I am so grateful for today and for the grace and mercy God gives us every day.

Love to you all!

On this Pathway-

Jill

Blessings

"Don't worry about anything;  instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done."  Philippians 4:6 NLT

God is bigger than any fear we face.  We don't need to anxiously search for a solution.  The best thing to do when we're afriad is to fall to our knees.  He'll hear our prayer, meet our needs and help us face our fear with the courage only He can give.

"We know that all things work together for the good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28 NRSV


God promises to work everything out for our good.  There is always a new way to see God, a new lesson to learn, a new way to prune us to help us grow.  God doesn't prevent us from experiencing struggles but He walks with us and helps us grow through them.

They are two verses that have become very dear to me these last few weeks, with seeing my mom worry about her mammgram (praise God it came back fine-they are just going to watch the small tissue area the Dr. in NY was talking about-it has not changed in 4 months-he wants her to just have a follow up in 6 months) and all the struggles my sweet sister has gone through and is still going through.  She could not have her surgery last week on the two tumors in her neck becasue they didn't like the results of her EKG.  So she met  last Friday and today to take stress tests to see if the cardiologist will clear her for the surgery this Thursday.  Being this far away and knowing what she is dealing with all on her own is hard.  I have had to cling to God and His mighty plan for our lives and that ultimately whatever the outcome of all of this is, He see the whole puzzle-the "bigger" picture and it is always the greatest plan there could ever be for our lives.   I am trusting this, believing this, and so thankful that I know that my sister is a child of God.  Our Heavenly Father knew before she was even knit in my mother's womb what plans He had for her life, the good and bad times, the things that would not only grow her in her faith and make her stonger in her walk with Him, but that her testimony would touch so many lives and one of them would be mine.

I look forward to 2012 and all the blessings that God would show us-whatever form they come in, because even in my deepest trials, when I look back and see the greater picture, I can see the blessings overflowing in those times too.  I am most thankful that I can rest in the hope that only God can give us and that every day iin 2012 is truly as blessing from Him.

Praying for each of you and what God has instore for 2012 for you and your families.

On this Pathway-

The whole gang at Christmas.  My mom and dad and Mike's dad and us.  We had a blessed Christmas season.

Jill

Update On My Sister

The update on my sister is mixed. She is still awaiting results on the tumor on her ovary-not sure if it is cancer or not. The spot in her pelvic area they believe is fluid filled but showed no radioactive activity so they are thinking it is not cancerous and can possibly be drained. On the other hand they scanned from her head down to her mid thigh area and two spots in the back of her neck (sinus cavity) in the lymph node area showed up and they showed radioactive activity so they are calling them Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. 
There only these two small spots at this time and they found nothing else in the area or in the surrounding lymph nodes. She goes to see a specialist this Wednesday in Buffalo about what they need to do for this-surgery and then treatment following that. She will know more Monday from the pelvic ultrasound about the other two spots and what they will need to do about those. 
Please keep her in your prayers. We have never had cancer in our family and this is a new road we will travel.  
This has been a very hard day for my whole family, it is breaking my mom's heart, my dad's and mine too, but there is a special connection as all you moms know between your child and you and no matter how old they get, it is never easy and if you could you would change places with them in a heart beat.
Please also pray for my mom as she is hoping to get her second mammogram here this next week to see what the difference was.  Please pray that is is nothing-I really don't know how much more she can take at this point.
Thanks
Love you all


On This Pathway-
Jill

Jackie's at the Dr. right now for her results

As I am typing right now my sister is on her way to the Dr.'s office.  They called her in am and said they wanted her to come in this afternoon to talk about the results on her PET scan yesterday.
Please just pray.  My heart is so heavy I don't know how to pray right now except for God to protect her no matter what the results are.
Thank you-

I will keep you posted.

On This Pathway-
Jill

My Sister Jackie's PET Scan-Please Pray

When we were at Disney in 2007-My sister Jackie being silly!

My sister Jackie has had so many health issues all through her life, (but as of two and a half years ago when she survived an abdominal aneurysm rupturing and not receiving surgery till 6 hours after the fact) her health issues have been worse.   She has had blood clots, swelling, problems with her intestines (that required another surgery) sugar issues, you name it, it seems like she has experienced it and the Dr.'s don't know really what to expect and what might happen since they have never had someone as young as my sister experience an aneurysm rupturing and surviving it.

The latest issue was about three months ago she went to a new Dr. that wanted to do a total work up on her to see why she was swelling so bad. During a CAT scan they found two spots in the areas she had to have surgery so they thought they were probably scar tissue but wanted her to return in 3 months (which was 3 weeks ago) to see if they still looked the same.  They did not-they have both grown a small amount.  Since my sister is pretty fragile from all that has happened to her body, they do not want to just go in and open her up to do surgery, they are not sure she would make it through it to be honest.  So she is scheduled at 3:00 pm today, 12-15-2011, for a PET scan to rule out that these spots are not cancerous.

To say I am ok with all of this would be a lie,  I know that ultimately this is all God's plan, but there is a part of me that is really struggling with this.  My sister has struggled her whole life with her health.  She has never married and just had her 45th birthday this month, she never had kids because she never got married and had to have a hysterectomy at 40, she always wanted to be married and have children. She has undergone a lot of things in her life that have cause a multitude of health issues and pain, her life has not be easy and a lot of times "joyful" by any means.  She however is one of the strongest Christians I know-she loves God with all her heart, never doubting His plan.

She is my only sibling and although we have lived apart (her in NY and me in AR and TX) for the last 17 years, I love her and would do anything I could to change what she is going through today.

Please pray for her, I am asking that it would not be cancer (I don't think she could make it through chemo and radiation) I am asking God would spare her life, that she would just be healed.  I know I serve a God that is mighty enough to do that if it is the plan He has for her life.  I also know that whatever road we have to walk with this that He is still there with us, still loves us, and still only wants what is best for my sister.  

Today has been a very emotional day for our family, we are 1800 miles away and my parents just moved here to TX for the winter and so they are not there either.  She will be doing these tests alone today-this has been very difficult on my mom as well.  Please pray for her today, no matter how old your babies get they are still your babies.

I have shed many tears this morning already, just clinging to His promises as I type this.

Thank you for praying for my beautiful sister, if you knew her, I promise you would love her too, everyone does that knows her!  She would hug your neck and tell you just how special each of you is and what a wonderful treasure you are in HIM.  

Sometimes things in life just don't seem fair, (and I know we are not promised that) but when I look at all Jackie has gone through and the lives she has touched because of it-I am amazed at how God can turn beauty from ashes, my sister is a walking miracle and she has told anyone she meets about God's grace in her life.  Praying that this is another stepping stone, another part in the journey that will bring God even more glory.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers-

On This Pathway~

Jill

Snowflakes inside when it is 65 outside

I woke this morning with it being very dark and rainy again.  This is our 3rd day in a row for such weather and I am not complaining because we sooooo need the rain after 4 months of summer and 100 degree temperatures that burned up all of our yard, but I can say that I miss the sunshine and would never choose to live where it rained all the time.  It makes me kind of sad, it also makes me want to bake.

So tonight after dinner I thought I would make the kids some snowflake cut out cookies.  I was going to have us all make them but Analeigh wanted to play Barbies and talked her wonderful big sister into playing with her and Brandon was not behaving well and had to go to bed at 7:30, (hopefully tomorrow with all the rest he will get he will make better choices,) and Derek was involved in a good book.

So I decided to go ahead and try this new cookie recipe I had for cut out cookies to see how they came out. I must say, it didn't make a huge amount-about 18 cookies, but the snowflake cutter I have it fairly large too.  I must also say that the dough was really good and it rolled out easily and wasn't too dry or too sticky.
I think I will use it again.  That being sad I did follow the recipe for the frosting as well and it was a basic frosting with meringue powder and I didn't love it-it isn't bad but I think I prefer the frosting I make for my butter cookies better and will make that next time instead.

All that to say, I liked the recipe and will share it just in case you are looking for a new one to try, if you do I hope that you enjoy it too!  Happy Baking~

Cream Cheese Cookies (cut outs)

1 cup butter softened
1 3oz package cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

On medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese until blended.  Add sugar, beat until fluffy.  Add egg yolks and vanilla, beat until blended.  Beat in flour 1/2 cup at a time.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat over to 350.  On a slightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Using cookie cutters cut out your shapes re-rolling scraps to cut out more.  Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets (I used parchment paper on mine too) Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies start or until golden around the edges (just slightly) Transfer to racks to cool and then frost.

Frosting- Beat 16oz of confectioner's sugar, 3 TBS of meringue powder, and 6 TBS of warm water until frosting is glossy-add 1 tsp at a time of water if frosting is too thick.

On this Pathway-
Jill

Dear Jesus It's Your Birthday

 Our kids had their Christmas musical at church last Sunday, it was really great (says this mama of three of the kids in it ) I know what you are thinking but it was really sweet and all the kids that had speaking parts did wonderful.  My Derek had one of the main character parts and I couldn't have been prouder of him, he has come a long way from days when he played a Wise Man and threw his gift at baby Jesus feet and ran, even with Mike (my hubby) laying on his belly behind the manger so that Derek would even walk up on the stage. LOL!  I almost couldn't believe it was the same kid.
One of the best parts of the program was the Angel Choir-(the 3 year olds) and our sweet Analeigh is in that choir.  They sang a song Dear Jesus It's Your Birthday, I love that my kids enjoy being in Choir, Mission Friends, RA's and GA's and that they are learning through song and scripture to hide God's word in their hearts.  I love that we have wonderful teachers that teach them faithfully every Wednesday and Sunday about Jesus and His love for them.  Most of all I love and I am truly grateful that it isn't just something they learn there and forget-it is running through their hearts and minds and they want to sing it and quote it others places.  Analeigh was singing "Dear Jesus" the other morning while eating her breakfast.  That is why her hair is so messy and she is still in her PJ's.  I grabbed the video camera while she was singing (she forgot the ending the words are supposed to be and the gift I have is me) but it still melted my heart and I wanted to share it.
When we got to ballet that day she sang it for Ruth (the business manager that sits up front when you walk in) and a friend of mine that was dropping off her daughter, not a bit afraid-so thankful!!  God is good.
Merry Christmas-I pray that you will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus too.

On this Pathway-
Jill