1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Hello friends! I hope everyone has had a splendid day and enjoyed every moment of this beautiful day we have been blessed with. Last Wednesday I went to St. Jude for my keloid treatment and it could not have been better. I took some loopy medicine to help me relax and it helped a lot! When I had my keloids, I would put numbing cream on my scar to help reduce the pain, because it was too painful to touch. This cream is literally pure magic and works wonders with the reduction of the pain. This time I did not use the cream because we do not want to put anything on the new scar that would irritate or cause any complications. As a result of the absence of the numbing cream, the procedure was more painful than I expected. The medicine helped so much, but numbing cream, you were greatly missed. I am glad so to have the first treatment behind me and I am looking forward to the day I can say I'm done with all the keloid treatment! The past couple of days I have been studying and praying on how to be thankful in every aspect of my life. We are called to "pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18, but what does that really mean and how can I achieve it? Being thankful is easier said than done and sometimes I find myself going days without taking a few seconds to reflect on all the countless blessings the LORD has so graciously give to me. Thankfully over the course of this past week, it has been revealed to me through my quiet times, that I need some serious improvement in the "being thankful" department. It is only normal to become accustomed to all of the wonderful things we have been given and before we know it we find ourselves consumed in selfishness. A key ingredient in becoming thankful is realizing that each and every thing you have comes from the LORD. The house you are living in, comes from God. The clothes on your back, come from God. The food you just ate for dinner, comes from God. The device you are reading this blog post off of, you guessed it... comes from God! Once we gain perspective and realize that EVERYTHING comes from God, it becomes only second nature to pick out these blessings and instantly give thanks. Some weeks you may find yourself truly living out 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 but the next week you may find yourself struggling to acknowledge your blessings. Take a breath and don't be too hard on yourself because this is absolutely normal! Pray that the LORD will give you eyes to be able to see his blessings and a heart that appreciates all that he does day after day for us. We are broken people, completely and utterly consumed in our sins and we fail the LORD numerous times each day. His mercy for sinners like us is unlimited and he is understanding and forgiving when we may have a bad week and forget to make him our priority. To be completely honest, we are going to have countless days, weeks, months, or maybe even years that we forget to give thanks. What Jesus did on the cross for us makes those days of failure become a faint memory. We were bought with a price and this price covers all of our sins, especially the ones we find ourselves committing over and over again. Since becoming thankful is a process, why not start today? Be patient and challenge yourself to look around and point out those hidden blessings. You will fail and when you do do not become frustrated or feel ashamed, but let the LORD's mercy pick you up and replenish your weary soul. Learn from your mistakes and strive each day to be an better person than you were yesterday! Thanks for all of the prayers and support throughout my journey. I hope everyone has a blessed night! :)

Second "first round" of keloid treatment

Done with the first round!

My wonderful scar that I am so proud of!

This is my fantastic doctor who performed my surgery and has performed all of my keloid treatments. He is so wonderful and I am very grateful to have him as a part of my team!

These are my friends Munhuush and Grace and I had the privilege of babysitting them Friday night while their parents had a night out. They are from Mongolia and Munhuush is a patient at St. Jude. He needs your prayers right now so please lift up this precious family in prayer!