Meditation tips

Not to get too "New-Agey" (sp?) on you, but I am becoming increasingly interested on meditation. I tried it this morning (everyone, including the cats, is still asleep) so the house was incredibly quiet, but I couldn't get to the point where I could "envision a beam of light coming down onto my head, radiating throughout my body, and going out into the world" with any sense of realism, like the books say to do. Now, I realize that this is my second time really trying it, so it probably takes a while to "get it", right?

So I make my plea: if any of you meditate, please send me any tips or suggestions on how to do this. What I aspire to do is to be able to read a passage of Scripture and then literally and figuratively meditate on it.

Hope you are all doing well. I had a meeting with the project sponsor yesterday morning, after putting some options for a particular screen design together, and he liked them. Praise God! In hindsight, in the middle of all the crap, I realize that I probably could have handled the emotional aspect of what I was going through a little bit better (I really hate to cry at work--your eyes get all puffy and all of your mascara is gone), but...it is what it is, and it is part of the person God made me to be.

Father God, I lift up to you all who are hurting, who are separated from You, those who are faced with difficult decisions, those who are victims of unspeakable things. Be their Protector and comforter. I thank You for the sacrifice of Your son, so that we could live with you forever.

His unending peace and joy...Laura

Hooray!

Well...went in today for the follow-up mammogram. I first sat in the waiting room for about 15 minutes, and there were a lot of people there. Then I went back, changed into that wonderful gown (although I am loving the trend in which there are 3 arm holes--you put it on like a bathrobe and then it continues from your left and you stick your right arm into the 3rd arm hole, so that the end of the gown is on your right side), and sat in another waiting room for them to get me. There were so many women in there! All shapes, ages, sizes--all of us sitting in these sky blue gowns, watching a soap opera (except for me--I'm reading Quantum Wellness, a book my darling husband got for me. The book is good so far, and I've actually been thinking about meditation and all of its benefits....but I digress).

I have about 3 pictures taken with that torture-but-you-know-it's-worth-it machine, and the cool thing is that I can see the small area on the my left breast where it looks like a highly concentrated area of nerve endings. Each time the machine squeezes and I'm holding my breath, I repeat "Jesus is with me" until I can breathe again and the machine has released its stronghold on my breast. Back to the waiting room went I. The nurse mentioned that we could be in the waiting room for up to a couple of hours, since their doctors were very thorough. "Eek!" I thought--I didn't plan on that.

The nurse called my name and took me to a little room and told me that the doctor said that everything was fine! They want to see if me in six months, given that my mom had breast cancer. All is good--He is good! I was prepared for any type of news--praise His name!

Many, many thanks to all of those who lifted me up in prayer--I truly felt your warmth and your strength. God's deepest blessings on each of you.

Where've I been???

Wowsers. I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! My apologies!! :)

So....to bring you up to speed...the kids have been out of school since the 4th and have been spending time with my father-in-law, who came down from Oklahoma last week. He left 2 days ago, but it was a very nice visit while he was here.

Work has gotten to the point where I'm absolutely considering checking into Laurel Ridge...okay, not that bad, but getting there. I've been bombarded and challenged with questions regarding my designs, and it's gotten to the point where all of the self-doubt looms up, almost to the choking point. My head knows that I'm heading in the right direction with my work product. It's the business team that I work with are some of the most challenging from a personality point of view, and sometimes the technical team questions me a lot as well. So, I've sought counsel from others at work, all of whom are Christians. The best advice that I was given was to go to the Word. The very next day, the devotional was entitled "Patience" and the verse was James 1: 2-5. Another friend, that same day, forwarded me that same verse, with the devotional entitled "Trials". Hmmm...I'm thinking He's trying to tell me something...pray that I am able to discern what lesson it is He wants me to learn.

Earlier this week, I received a letter from my gynecologist's office, as well as from the Imaging Center that I had gotten a mammogram at a week or two ago. It appears that there was a "questionable area" on the report. My mom had breast cancer in her early fifties, so the most logical thing to do would be to panic and worry, right? Well, here's where things get amazing. I felt no sense of fear, or panic, at all. I mean, I sent an email to friends to pray that things will work out okay, but still...incredibly, I felt okay. This was a stark contrast to the time 13 years ago when I had a pap smear in which they found pre-cancerous cells. When I got the results, I immediately worried about losing my hair (chemo) and what would happen to Greg if something happened to me (I had just divorced my ex-husband, so it was just the two of us)--all of the things that you may think of when you don't have a great support system that centers around our Heavenly Father. (to close the loop: they removed the pre-cancerous cells by freezing them out & all has been fine). Fast forward back to now: peace. I have an appointment for a follow up mammogram and/or ultrasound this Tuesday. All will be fine, regardless of the outcome. I have received so many wonderful responses to my prayer request. I am so blown away and so incredibly blessed!

Thank you, Father God, for your infinite wisdom in bringing these angels into my life. Thank you for all that you are, and for all that you give.

Many blessings and His overwhelming peace!