Life's puzzle

This weekend has been one with lots of preparation, planning, and prayer.  As many of you know the month of August brings a little bit of stress with heading back to school.  Decorating my classroom, lesson plans, etc. AND it is also the month of birthdays in our family.  We have 5 in our immediate family (my mom, J, my brother-in-law, and my two sweet nieces) and then three belonging to my best friends' little girlies.  Soooo that's a lot of celebrating and of course everyone of those special people in my life deserves the perfect gift.  I love birthday shopping and have everyone taken care, I think!  Those who know me well, know I love a plan and like to think ahead. So that has been done and just the wrapping is left to go.  With my first treatment scheduled right before all of the celebrating, I've got to be prepared.  With all of that being said, I've prayed a lot while out and about.  Prayers for my family and friends, prayers for my upcoming year in the classroom, prayers for my doctors, and I've prayed for peace along this journey. 

This morning Jett wanted to put together a puzzle. 

 I stopped what I was doing and helped him.  He's gotten so good at them and could truly "puzzle" all day.  I couldn't help but think about how this life we are living is like a big puzzle.  None of them come with directions and neither does life.  We need God to give us guidance and help us place the pieces correctly.  In my puzzle, it seems like he put the outside edges together when he placed it in my hands.   He put specific people in my life to walk with while working on it, and I feel he's allowing me to see the big completed picture way down the road.  That picture is of a survivor.  A girl living a healthy "cancer-free" life.  Sometimes when a section of a puzzle becomes hard or we get stuck, we have to remember that He's going to be there to help.  My focus has to be on him.  

My echocardiogram went well on Friday.  They want to have a baseline because one of the chemo drugs may cause some heart damage and they'll want to check on that in three months.  The sweet girl that did my echo looked to be about 12.  Nah!  I'm kidding.  She was super young and a Clemson grad, so that made her just perfect in my eyes.  She was so comforting and calm and sweet, and grabbed my hand when walking me out and told me that she'd pray for me.  Wow.  See.  She was one of the pieces of the puzzle.  

And these folks right here are part of our puzzle too!  We were so happy to have dinner with some of our sweet friends, Brandi and Chris.  J and Chris were neighbors and just the very best of friends growing up and I went to high school with them both.  Brandi is the strongest girl you'll find and has recently battled breast cancer and is doing great!  She just truly amazes me to hear her story.  We laughed and talked so much, I didn't want the night to end.  

Tomorrow will be a day of rest after Sunday School and church.  My most favorite thing to do after a big lunch is snuggle Jett.  I sometimes find myself staring at him while he sleeps, thanking God for choosing me to be mommy.  He's another piece of that puzzle.  A big piece.  He keeps me laughing and that's good medicine, right?!  

Thanks for your continuous prayers for us all.  

"In every thing, give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18