A Personal Praise and another Christmas card!

Hello friends!  I hope you are all well! 

I just got home from an Oncologist appointment that has been laying heavy on my heart as it was to get the results of all the tests he ran over the past 2 weeks and whether he thought I was healthy enough to move on to the chemo regime he had planned.   First of all... I just have to give God all the glory for answered prayers!  The PET scan was basically clean (only a couple little things that don't really change much).  I knew my chances of it having gone in to my lymph nodes were very high and I was even warned by the Dr that due to the tumor's size, it was quite likely it had metastasized to other organs, which would have really affected my long term outlook.  It has not!  Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!!!  So I start a year long Chemo and Biological drug regime on Tues am.  I will go every 3 weeks to get 4 different chemo and biological drugs for 18 weeks. I also will go once a week for a year (if my heart can take it), for a biological drug that they infuse the same way, but it's not supposed to put me down as much as the chemo drugs will.  It does pose a risk to the heart so that is another prayer request.  Also after the 18 weeks on chemo, I should be having surgery and radiation for 5-6 weeks.  I am so encouraged today, and I now have determination that I can make it through this.  It's going to be a long journey, but I know He is with me!  I have to thank all of you who have been praying for me as He hears and answers prayers! I would cherish your continued prayers as I begin treatment.  I know there will be a lot of difficult days, but I am so resting in His loving arms right now and I can't even express how grateful I am for how He has answered our prayers!!!

Today I'm sharing another Christmas card I made before all these tests began, using some great new dies from Our Daily Bread designs, as well as one of my all time favorite sets, You Will Find Refuge (the bird image).  

I stamped the bird image and lightly colored with Copics, then cut with the Custom Chickadee Die.  I used a craft base, then Always Artichoke, then white which I embossed with a Darice Pine Embossing folder.  I die cut the pine boughs from the new Lovely Leaves die set and the pinecones are from the new Pinecones die set.  The pinecones are two part, so I did the background in a darker color and the top part with craft. I then added Dazzling Diamond glitter liberally to it all.  I die cut the Merry Christmas Word dies from a slightly darker brown shade and adhered.  To embellish I just used some red twine and some clusters of red pearls.  Simple, but I love it because Chickadees are my absolute favorite birds! I love watching their acrobatics and just the wonder of how God has provided for even these tiny little birds!  If he cares that much for them, I know He cares for me!  The name of this set (You Will Find Refuge) comes from Ps. 91:4.  I went back to read the rest of this chapter and found it touching my heart in a special way today.  Here is the first part of the chapter:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!  For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you may seek refuge.  His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.  You will not be afraid ..."

Thanks so much for stopping by, for your prayers and notes of encouragement!