I Beg Your Pardon....I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

I saw this pic on Facebook and just had to share it! It reminded me of my very first blog entry here and is, of course, an ongoing "issue" for me.....and I've been told, many of you:)  Let's all write this little note to ourselves in a place where we can see it often. 

It's been a crazy few days and my head has been SPINNING!!  A dear sweet friend and co-worker found out earlier this week that she has breast cancer.  Katie is young, smart, and beautiful!  She is our official game show host on our annual Culver Girls' Trip and always up to be in on a good joke at work.  I got to have tea (decaffeinated and sugar-free, of course:) with her this morning.  She is, of course, shocked, but seems to be thinking logically about things and relying on family, friends, and faith.  Please keep Katie in your prayers as she travels this new journey that she is unexpectedly travelling.  Love you, KT!!

Yesterday, my friend, Fonda came down to Camby for a visit.  She packed a lovely picnic lunch and snacks and we headed to the pool with Davison and his buddy Collin.  You would have thought I pumped Davison full of caffeine and sugar before Fonda arrived...he was wound up!!  I do believe the crush he has had on Fonda from an early age continues on:)  It was great catching up with my 'soul sister' and having some time on a hot day to hang out in the cool water.  BTW, Fonda Lou, my incisions look just fine today....wink, wink:)

I am doing better with my protein drinks.....don't get me wrong, I still have a moment of dread before I mix one up and start the arduous process of getting it down my gullet, but I have found a couple of things that are working better for me, for now.  For one thing, I am mixing the protein "mix" or whey powder in twelve ounces of milk rather than eight AND, last night, a friend who had the same surgery one year ago gave me some new protein mixes to try.  I have tried the vanilla and it doesn't seem to be quite as sweet as the french vanilla whey powder.  As I mentioned, Heather had the same surgery a year ago.  She had just had her one year "check-up" and it was all great news! She looks AND FEELS great!  It was so helpful and encouraging to talk to her last night, to get some tips, and to just have somebody express that she understands my feelings.  Thanks, Heather! I am quite sure we will have many more conversations in the weeks, months, and years to come:)

I almost titled this blog entry, "Excuse Me Duke, I Usually Puke"....sorry to those with weak stomachs......Anyway, I don't think I have belched as month in my entire life as I have this last two weeks.  That tiny tummy fills up fast and leads to burping (I'll try to "pretty it up" for you:) and if I drink anything....even water too fast....here it comes, oh, excuse me!  I find myself drinking those protein drinks (are you tired of hearing about them yet?) too fast and I think it's just because I want it over with.  The most frustrating by far is water.  I am a water lover and drink about 100 ounces a day, normally.  I just want so badly to tip that Nalgene bottle back and chug!!  But, you guessed it, anything more than a sip of water and it's like belch-a-palooza.  I'm just going to apologize to you all right now for any noises that may leave my body when we are together.

Do you remember the old country song, "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden?"  Funny, it came to mind today as I was thinking about Katie, another co-worker whose husband is battling cancer, my own life experiences, and many, many other friends, co-workers, and family members who have or have had recent personal battles. Here are the Lyrics:

I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There's gotta be a little rain sometimes.
When you take, you gotta give, so live and let live,
Or let go.
I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.

I could promise you things like big diamond rings,
But you don't find roses growin' on stalks of clover.
So you better think it over.
Well, if sweet-talkin' you could make it come true,
I would give you the world right now on a silver platter,
But what would it matter?
So smile for a while and let's be jolly:
Love shouldn't be so melancholy.
Come along and share the good times while we can.

I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There's gotta be a little rain sometimes.

I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.

I could sing you a tune or promise you the moon,
But if that's what it takes to hold you,
I'd just as soon let you go, but there's one thing I want you to know.
You better look before you leap, still waters run deep,
And there won't always be someone there to pull you out,
And you know what I'm talkin' about.
So smile for a while and let's be jolly:
Love shouldn't be so melancholy.
Come along and share the good times while we can.

I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There's gotta be a little rain sometimes.

Definitely hokey, but when I think about God's promises to us, this song rings true!! He never promised us a rose garden, a life on earth free from trials or pain.  He does promise us a reward for drawing nearer to Him when trials come, for stepping up and stepping out and relying on Him and all He has promised.  I LOVE the book of Romans, so it is no surprise that I found the scripture I was searching for when thinking about all of this there.

Romans 8

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,^[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸ So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³ Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us^[b] with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

I remember relying heavily on Romans 8:26-27 after we lost our second son, Benjamin during pregnancy.  I was lost.....literally. Depressed.  I had no idea what to do with that pain, what to ask for, pray for. The Holy Spirit definitely interceded during that time.

Romans 8:28....what can I say.  Today alone I have heard a number of times, "Everything happens for a reason." We may not get to know those reasons here on earth, but we can rest in knowing that, if we are walking with Christ, He will make "good" out of even the worst situations. 

Peace,
K