Hi everyone and Happy Thanksgiving. I wanted to give you an update. Greg and I had a very emotional day yesterday. We met with my surgeon at Mayo in Jacksonville for my 8-week post op appointment. He called my surgery an A+. He said it couldn't have gone any smoother. He also agreed with my Oncologist that I do not need any more chemo! Praise God! So, I got to ring the bell! I will go to Mayo every quarter for 2 years to have blood work and CT scans, and after that every 6 months. I can't say I am in "remission" until after my first quarterly appointment and scan, but it is looking good! I want to thank everyone for all of the prayers, texts, calls, visits, donations, food, helping hands and so much more! I couldn't have made it this far without all of you!

One of my dear friends shared the following with me yesterday and I want to share it with all of you. It's a little long, but an amazing message and I hope you will take the time to read it. I love you all more than you know!

Hi friend,
I have been thinking a lot about gratitude lately, not the kind that comes easily when life is smooth, but the kind God grows in us right in the middle of the mess and challenging circumstances. Isn't it true that so many blessings don't look like blessings when they first arrive? We pray for God to work, but sometimes His gifts show up in packages we would have never chosen. Yet, those very places are often where He is doing His greatest work, bringing good out of broken things, beauty from ashes, hope out of places we never expected. But I get it. It can be challenging to stay thankful when life doesn't go the way we hoped. When circumstances are painful, confusing, disappointing, or out of control. How do we live gratefully then? God gives us a simple yet powerful invitation in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 which says "always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit". This kind of "thanks-living" isn't about pretending everything is good but it's about trusting that God is good in everything. It's a perspective that grows as we know Him more deeply, listen to His Word more often, and pray in all things. Maybe today your circumstances don't feel like a gift. Maybe you're waiting for clarity, healing, provision, direction, or answers. But what if, in this very place, God is inviting you not just to survive it, but to see how God might be using difficulty for you to experience His presence and promises in deeper ways. Here's what I'm learning: I can't choose every circumstance, but I can choose my response. I can't control outcomes, but I can trust the One who holds them. I can't see the whole story, but I can thank the Author who never wastes a page. When I invite the Holy Spirit into those places, gratitude refocuses my attention off of what is wrong and onto everything that is right because of Jesus. It becomes courage. It becomes medicine. It becomes the way my faith learns to breathe again. As we head into our Thanksgiving, let's practice " thanks-living", right where we are, not where we wish we were. Let's thank God in the story, not just when the story is resolved. Let's trust the Giver, even when we don't understand the gift. Let's look for opportunities to practice this lifestyle through ways we encourage, affirm, and recognize how abundantly blessed we are. May your cup overflow with gratitude not because life is easy, but because you are deeply loved by God.

With love and thankfulness for you all!