Harvest Lane Cottage

Attention ladies... It's a beautiful Autumn day outside... sunshine, rain, wind, snow, cold, or heat, it's all beautiful Novembery weather. Don't miss it! ~smile~ Remember, whatever you're going through, you're going through it. You're going to make it. Lean into God and His promises. Read his word and know that it's his letter directly to you. I'm starting my next round of chemo treatments this morning. There's only one drug this time, though they may add an anti-nausea drug. This one is designed to starve off any stray cancer cells or cancer wannabe cells. I would ask you to pray for my heart that it will not be damaged and that I won't have side effects like before. I didn't realize that this was a chemo drug. I thought it was a hormone blocking drug. I am not looking forward to side effects. I am hoping that I will continue to feel good. Still, prayer and faith are more effective than hope. Thank you for standing wit...

  Hello everyone!   I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend if you're here in the States with me, or just had a terrific weekend if you're in the big wide world. I had a quiet Thanksgiving at home with our family six. Saturday we drove up to Kansas City and had an afternoon of visiting with grandparents and Alabama football. We made a memory. Having memories and living in them are not the same though. I'm glad that God keeps us moving forward. I need to move forward.   A couple of weeks ago a man spoke at our church about Elijah and how he was physically and emotionally exhausted after the Mount Carmel confrontation with the prophets of Baal. It struck me, that's why I've made it this far strong, and suddenly I feel so tired from the fight. BUT GOD! He brought ravens with food for Elijah. He took care of Elijah when he was weak and tired. He will bring me through. He's been sending me people to show His love, His kindness, and who have blessed m...

What do you think of when you think about Thanksgiving? A Norman Rockwell setting? A Waltons' Thanksgiving? A disaster or battleground? What if you don't feel so thankful about gathering with your relatives or a certain relative? Do you stress over pleasing them or feel irritated by them? Sadly that's the case for more people that we'd like to think. Unfortunately, not everyone has a loving family that serves our Lord. Most would say there is at least one in their family that makes holidays difficult. In fact, if you're a Christian, but you're not from a Christian family, you may be the one that makes the others uncomfortable.  What if you're totally stressed out about getting a meal prepared and on the table not to mention all the preparations ahead of time?  May I encourage you to use the preprayment plan? That's praying ahead of time for situations that are coming up. Search your Bible for a verse or two that you can focus your mind and h...

My hubby and I went shopping for a few things today that we needed. We picked up the biggest turkey we've ever bought. We want leftovers, and our sons are big guys well over six foot! We also picked up our sweet potatoes. I'll bake them Tuesday or Wednesday morning and then mash them for sweet potato casserole. I think the whole family would scream mutiny if I forgot that casserole! While we were at the store, we picked up a few things that I just know we will need.  I'm at the same point you are, I need to finalize the menu (nearly always the same), get out my recipes, and make a final shopping list. Then I'll make my cooking schedule. This year the kids and hubby will do most of the cooking. Blessings, Laura

Welcome to another  Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage! Each week I share ways I've saved money, my thrifty and frugal projects, and my blessings from God.  I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight! Please say hello! I'm always looking for new blog friends! ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ Hey y'all! I'm back! Well, I'm back for awhile anyway. ~smile~ Here's the big news. My oncologist has now declared that I am in "rare, total remission"...and he smiled! I'd heard from the surgeon that the cancer wasn't in my lymph nodes or margins, but there was just something about hearing it from the oncologist that made it all the more real. I wasn't surprised the cancer is gone. I've known from the start that God is fighting my cancer battle.  Still, the battle isn't over. I continue to recover from surgery. One of my incisions has been slow to heal, I still have pain, and I am trying to regain range of motion ...

   Once upon a time, a few years ago, we visited a planetarium in St. Louis. It was a school field trip with  our close friends the Smiths. We loved those days. Since it was a school day, there were few visitors. After the program was over, I was speaking to the man who presented the program. I told him I'd love to see what the southern hemisphere sky looks like. He kindly pulled it up on the projector, and he pointed out several constellations. I couldn't help myself, tears fell as I looked at the sky that the other half of the world looks at each night.   God is so much bigger than we can even imagine. Seeing a whole different sky highlighted that. Knowing that it is unlikely that I will ever see that sky, it was a very precious experience. I am so thankful that I had those few moments to do something impossible for me.    Yes, I am very sentimental. Don't even get me started on the National Anthem! Laura Contemplating my Blessings with Than...

I've had some hard times emotionally over the last few weeks. In part, I'm weary of the journey. In part, the medicines didn't agree with me. BUT GOD. God is so faithful. In my distress, He prompted me to reach out to the right people —good friends who knew how to help. He also brought me in contact with a couple of local support groups, and with an acquaintance who is going through her own breast cancer journey in my own home town. She'll be starting radiation a week or two before I do. Neither of us is looking forward to it, but it will be good for it to be over. We have become fast friends. For a number of years, she prepared income taxes for people. She said that every year, March 15th would come, and she would just become so tired and worn out. She just wanted it over with. Tax season is exhausting. It wasn't until the last couple of years doing taxes that she recognized the pattern. She said that she is going through the same emotions now. She'...

I am thankful for war songs! The Israelites sang in battle! This is the song that got me through the long wait for the initial diagnosis of cancer in the surgeon's office. This is the song that got me through many of the times of fighting in the Spirit! Okay, y'all. Don't freak out when you listen to this. It's a true war song 21st century style. It may not be what you're used to. It's not what I was used to. But I heard a man in our church a year or two ago sing this. He was battling cancer. He has won! GOD IS IN CONTROL! THERE'S POWER IN THE BLOOD! I PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS  OVER MY BODY FOR COMPLETE HEALING! I PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS  OVER MY FAMILY FOR SALVATION  AND COMPLETELY GIVING THEIR LIVES TO JESUS! Y'all, this really is a war!  Satan's after you and your loved ones, too. Plead the blood of Jesus! What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Hugs to you all! Be bold a...

Surgery is complete. Reconstruction complete. Healing in process. Pathology report complete. No cancer in margins. No cancer in lymph nodes. No problem for God! Praise God! He is a God of His Word. His Word Is Truth. Declare His Word Over Your Life. Laura Halfway through the cancer battle, but the victory is already won! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥