“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent (unstoppable).” ~ Calvin Coolidge
“How many months have you been in remission?” Bill, my new psychologist asked. “Three.” “And how does that make you feel?” “Good, I guess,” I pulled at the hem of my shirt. “But, I can’t shake the thought that…it’ll return. I just wanna know…am I cured or not?” My chin trembled and I grabbed a tissue […]
“He…knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground […]
“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. ~ Psalm 107:6 KJV I remember the day Erin Brockovich, the well-known environmental activist, visited our town in 2009 and alleged what our community had feared: We were living in a cancer-cluster and water contamination was to blame. Each […]
{Day 11} “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you […]
{Day 10} “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. ‘If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,’ he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was […]
{Day 9} Bad to Worse? “Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three gather together in My name, there I am with them.” ~ Matthew 18:19&20 NLT […]
{Day 7} “As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the [enemy]…” ~ 2 Chronicles 20:22a I laid on my couch at home, exhausted for the umpteenth time weeks after finishing my stem cell transplant, and surviving the near-death ordeal because of a blood clot. (Just so you know, resting is […]
“Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” ~ Matthew 19:26 NLT On the third night of my stem cell transplant, I sat up in my hospital bed, gasping like someone was dunking my head underwater. Hitting the nurses’ call button, I stammered out, […]
{Day 4} “The tongue has the power of life and death.” ~ Proverbs 18:21a NIV I wish someone would have warned me about what strangers might say that morning I walked into the welfare office to register for food stamps. Since our income was cut in half when I stopped working to start treatment, we […]
{Day 3} “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” ~ Ephesians 3:20b NLT I’m a planner. A finagler. A behind-the-scenes manipulator. But oftentimes, my strategy doesn’t follow His formula. In my quest to speed up […]
{Jason and I eating take-out and playing cards with Shelly and George.} Hello, sweet friends. Here is Day 2 of the devotional I’m writing for the newly diagnosed. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this first: Preface and Day 1. Blessings, Dabney {Day 2} “Can any of you add a […]
Hello, sweet friends. I’ve been doing something for the last few years, and it’s time to let you in on my secret. Eek. I’ve started to write a devotional for the newly diagnosed, and I think I’m ready for my favorite friends to have a sneak peek (that’s you!). I am hoping to release a […]
Today is going to be a good day! 5 years ago I had open heart surgery, and when I woke up I had amnesia. For 6 days I didn’t know where I was or even my kids’ names (I still struggle with memory issues a tad). It took months to bounce back. That’s why I […]
It’s funny. I felt like God put this post on my heart to share one day after my walk, but I never did. I was too afraid of posting anything remotely positive after arriving home and reading the headlines. But you see–there’s this catchy song that says, “Put your hands up if you feel like […]
{Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels} You’re home. Your kids are home. And now you have to motivate them to finish school, and stay sane during this unusual time. Ack. We know by now this sickness is serious, and that quarantine is the fastest way to help lessen the duration of this disease if we follow the […]