Finally an update!

I'm so sorry for not posting sooner. Thank you so much for being patient with me. I hope I haven't lost any of you because I haven't posted in so long. I've started probably over 20 posts and just haven't been able to finish them. I'll explain why in my big update post, which I am almost done with. I'm hoping to finish it today, and if not today, then tomorrow. I'm really trying to get it done today though. I really, really miss blogging, but there have just been things going on that haven't allowed me to finish the posts that I've started. I REALLY appreciate your emails to check on me and make sure that I am okay. They make my day and I absolutely love hearing from you, especially those of you who I haven't heard from before! So thank you so much for the encouragement, prayers, and emails to check on me. So how am I doing? I'm doing okay, just worn out and like I said, I haven't been able to finish all the posts I've started, which is very frustrating. My brain has been very overwhelmed lately, more than normal, which makes it hard to blog and figure out how to put my thoughts into words.

I had to go to the ER last weekend, while my parents were out of the country visiting missionaries from our church, for severe abdominal pain and we found out that I have more endometriosis, but I'll explain more about all that in my big update. Because of the endometriosis, I've had to have my pain medicine increased, and have also been put on Valium because my abdomen is so tight and swollen from the endometriosis. Because of my pain medicine increase and the Valium, I feel out of it which also makes it difficult to express my thoughts. But I'm slowly making progress. One step at a time.

These past several months I've been so frustrated that I'm still sick and missing out on a lot, and now I'm even more frustrated that the endometriosis is back and causing a lot of pain again. I've already had 2 surgeries for the endometriosis and tried several medicines to stop the endometriosis, but it's not working and our options aren't very good ones, but we're not giving up and we still have hope, but it's so frustrating. I'm trying to stay positive and remember that God is carrying me and my family through all of this.

The past several weeks, the sunrises and sunsets have been incredible. They make me stop and realize that GOD, the same God that makes these breathtaking sunrises and sunsets is holding ME in His everlasting arms, and promises that He has great plans for ME, and that through His son's sacrifice on the cross and because I accepted Him in baptism for the forgiveness of my sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, that one day, when God calls me home, I will be safe in His arms forever! And God promises all of this to everyone who believes in Him accepts Him in baptism! When I look up and see these sunrises and sunsets that take your breath away, I'm reminded that I can say "It Is Well" because one day in Heaven, all will be well, and I will be healed from this disease that is destroying so much and causing so much pain. It reminds me of such a great old hymn that we sing in church.

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives!"

This first picture was the sunset right as we were leaving the hospital last week when I had to go to the ER for severe abdominal pain, when we found out that the endometriosis is back. I was so upset but felt a peace when I saw the sunset.

Beautiful sunrise one morning

The sunset Saturday night. This picture is not edited at all! How great is our God?!

This sunset was just after it rained, so the storm had just cleared and turned into a beautiful sunset!