Count your blessings, not your problems....

September Reading Plan: Psalm 31-60

September Memory Verse: Psalm 34:1
Prayer Requests go here.
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Remember my friend, Kim, that I told you all about? You can read the story about her here.

Well, I just want to share her latest Caringbridge post with all of you. I know you will be just as encouraged and inspired as I was.

Take a moment, and let Kim's faith spur you on today. You will be blessed, I promise you this.

Want to follow her journey? Go to Caringbridge.com and search for "Kim Jaynes". You will be so glad you did. She's an amazing girl. See for yourself.

Thankful for things BOTH big and small
by: Kim Jaynes

I have heard people say that when you are faced with a trial in life, your perspective on things alter completely! And I can tell you from this experience so far.....nothing could be closer to being true!

When I first got the diagnosis my mind started scrambling......past, present, future!

Each week brings more questions.....What if, What about, What next, and so on!

Every pain or ache causes me think that my entire body is cancer ridden! One with this disease tends to become hyper-vigilant and probably a little on the hypochondriac side too!

Of course death has crossed my mind (on more than one occasion). After all, cancer is the leading cause of death in women (lung cancer #1, breast cancer #2).

I am well aware that we all will die one day!

But, do I want to die from this??......I can answer with a resounding NO!

I have asked, told, and begged God to spare me in this life for a LONG while!  It is not that I am afraid of dying and what happens after this life because I know my salvation is secure!

BUT....I am not ready to leave this earth and the people I love who are still in it! I do not think God is finished with me and my purpose on this earth yet. So my prayer is that my "one day" is many, many, many, many, many..........days years away!!!

There have been some really, really hard days!

There have been some hard days with sprinkles of good throughout!

But there have also been some really good days and those far outweigh the bad!

In all of it, there moments to be cherished and I am so thankful for that!  Moments that are big and moments that are small!  I treasure each and every one! Because when your mindset changes to "this may be the last time I......." you tend to see things with a new set of eyes!

This weekend we had the chance to see my oldest son Dylan do his thing in the Vandy (Vanderbilt College)band. He attends Belmont, but marches for Vanderbilt!

It was me, my man, and our three gifts from God! I cannot imagine anything more precious than time spent with family!  I felt great all weekend, we ate, visited, laughed, and were all together!  This was a BIG thing and for that I am so very thankful!

There are many little things that take place on any given day.  Before getting breast cancer these things would, most likely, have gone unnoticed or at least were not seen as a blessing. But now that I tend to focus on the blessings and not on the business of life I can see things a little more clearly.

Hugs from a teenage son, a middle school girl wanting to sit in my lap, a text from a college boy, a husband who starts my shower in the morning, a mother who keeps our laundry clean, friends cooking dinner.......little gestures of love that can get so easily lost in the hustle and bustle of life!

So my advice to you.....soak up your blessings both BIG and SMALL!  

Put God first and be the Jesus that your family and friends need to see (especially your children!)

Slow down and enjoy your family! Family should always take precedence over all other things but God!

Show some love to those around you.....give up on the gossip and time wasted being mad!

Count your blessings and not your problems!

All of our days our numbered.....what if we all lived like today was the final number???

If you have hair...count that as a blessing.....the most frequent question I have had so far is......."has your hair started to come out yet?"

Well...it started last Tuesday and I was hoping it would hold on through the weekend! And it did (another blessing)...........but I could knit a hat from the pile that came out this morning! As well as the strands that continue to let loose as the day progresses.

So today....is shaving day!

I have opted for a wig but you may see me in a bandana or hat! Who knows....we will see!  I am not looking forward to being bald....but things could be so much worse! So if bald is as bad as it gets....then I will take it.


" Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17



Tallying up the big and the small gifts,
Kim