Good News! I continue to feel nearly normal – even got back to my usual exercise routine this morning which felt really amazing! My digestive issues are finally starting to even out, my appetite is back, and most foods are tasty. Minor irritations that continue to linger: my mouth still feels a bit burned inside, the inside of my nose is very dry but drippy, some red rash on my chest and up my shoulders and neck and a little bit on the side of my face near my hairline, and my lips are extra dry (thank goodness for my handmade lip butter!). My friend Sheila who’s a breast cancer survivor told me to suck on ice chips during my next chemo treatment and that will help alleviate the “burned mouth” issues – yay!!

This morning I was finally able to stop by the local mail forwarding service to pick up my fun mail! I received some cards and a couple packages from soapmaking friends that were so fun to read and open! When the regular mail came, I had a card from my mother-in-law and another package from my best friend in Kentucky. Want to see all my fun things??

Thank you, friends, for all the fun mail!!

I’m not sure how much longer my hair is going to hang in there, but so far no signs that I’m shedding any more than usual. I’m excited for all the options I’ll have for head coverings when the time comes though!

This afternoon, I met up with my friend Rebble who is going to help me out with the February soap challenge! The challenge will be to teach someone who has never made soap before how to do it, and I knew Rebble would be perfect for this. We’ve been friends for a good long time, she’s crafty and witty, and it will be such a fun adventure! I wanted to get a photo of the two of us for the Soap Challenge Club website, so we got some cute ones!

After that, I met with my Transformation Prayer group ladies and we had such a wonderful time together! My friend Kim shared a book with us that she just started reading called The Freedom Diaries: God Speaks Back, and I’ve already ordered it! Here’s the description from Amazon:

After 37 years of believing in a God who seldom speaks, Mark’s life goes down the plughole in a single day. Worse, he discovers it’s his own doing. Terrified, he screams out to God, just like he did years before when his son and daughter were dying. To his amazement God speaks back. And this time keeps on talking. An unbelievable conversation with God begins. As his life continues to slide into an abyss, Mark is plagued by doubt. Would God really talk to him like this? Worse still he discovers his conversations with God have made him a disappointment to religious people. Thoroughly disillusioned he decides to stop.

But God keeps talking.

Every day God turns up and says encouraging and hopeful things to Mark when there is no hope. A growing number of others hear what Mark is doing and try it themselves. Suddenly they too are hearing God speak. The conversation with God begins to spread…

The Freedom Diaries: God Speaks Back by Mark Holloway

If you’re interested in finding out what it’s like to hear His voice, I invite you to read it too! I have also found that He speaks in ways that are encouraging and hopeful – never condemning, judgmental, or disappointed.

Finally, if you want to send me a card or other fun mail, I would love to hear from you! If you don’t have my home address, please feel free to use my temporary mailing address. Most of all, I just continue to be thankful for your prayers. They are working!!!