“Come to me, and rest in my loving presence. You know that this day will bring difficulties, and you are trying to think your way through those trials. As you anticipate what is ahead of you, you forget that I am with you -- now and always. Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, wheras you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur. Do not multiply your suffering in this way! Instead, come to me, and relax in my peace. I will strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into confident trust.”

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, p. 17.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. … Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5, 9 ESV)

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Isn’t this the way it always goes with worry? This reading in my devotional today really struck home with me. I was never really a worrier…until I had all the hormone changes from my surgery. Oh, my! It seems I am always consumed with something that concerns me in varying degrees. And Satan is really exploiting this new weakness. I sometimes find myself spiritually bent low to the ground with a load of burdens and then, wonder why I’m so worn out!

I had never considered that I was repeatedly reliving the troubles (some that never even come to fruition) through worrying about them. What a powerful notion! No wonder the Bible talks about wringing our hands and fretting as activities to avoid. When I feel out of control of a situation, I find myself spiritually wringing my hands (and often physically, too) and fretting.

Take a look at this psalm using The Message translation:


Psalm 77
An Asaph Psalm
1 I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.

2-6 I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord;
my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal.
When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right,"
I didn't believe a word they said.
I remember God—and shake my head.
I bow my head—then wring my hands.
I'm awake all night—not a wink of sleep;
I can't even say what's bothering me.
I go over the days one by one,
I ponder the years gone by.
I strum my lute all through the night,
wondering how to get my life together.

7-10 Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good?
Will he never smile again?
Is his love worn threadbare?
Has his salvation promise burned out?
Has God forgotten his manners?
Has he angrily stalked off and left us?
"Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business
just the moment I need him."

11-12 Once again I'll go over what GOD has done,
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.

13-15 O God! Your way is holy!
No god is great like God!
You're the God who makes things happen;
you showed everyone what you can do—
You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble,
rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.

16-19 Ocean saw you in action, God,
saw you and trembled with fear;
Deep Ocean was scared to death.
Clouds belched buckets of rain,
Sky exploded with thunder,
your arrows flashing this way and that.
From Whirlwind came your thundering voice,
Lightning exposed the world,
Earth reeled and rocked.
You strode right through Ocean,
walked straight through roaring Ocean,
but nobody saw you come or go.

20 Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron,
You led your people like a flock of sheep.

I thought this translation was humorous in spots, “Just my luck…". But it shows the ridiculousness of worry in the face of God. This psalm reminds us that God is the Creator and as Creator he will handle my problems “hidden in the hands” of those who serve him.

But really, hidden? I don’t think so! The work of God while he allowed his children to cross the Red Sea is renowned and still spoken about today. Even feared!

The works God can do in me and for me are far mightier than the works that I can do myself, especially when those works include worry, wringing my hands, and being fretful.

All blogs from this date forward will be marked private. I have dedicated it to journaling personal matters in my life, although you can still read some training logs that I maintained while doing the Century Ride for LLS in 2009.

If you are following me here from Facebook and are new to Pleonast, first go to pleonast.com and register as a new user to activate a free account. Then, come back here and let me know that you want me to add you to my Friends list.

Looking forward to staying in touch with you better.

--Deidra

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

Edward Everett Hale


I don't need to have all the answers to help another, I just need to know the right people who do and then do what I can to help. In that light, consider this request:

As posted by Eva:

A CHANCE TO HELP: Little Mackenna Mae Casebolt has been on our prayer list for many months. She has overcome so many obstacles; and in doing so, she has incurred many medical bills which continue to mount. A family friend is organizing an Usborne book sale to help Mackenna get some books and to raise money to put toward medical bills. If you are so inclined, please help Sarah in this endeavor! If you've bought Usborne books, you know the quality of the books. They will be great additions to your library or will make wonderful gifts.

Link for Usborne Books for Mackenna
See the story at Sarah's page

This is the story of one of my coaches.

UPDATED: For the latest entry in my training blog, click the link on My LLS-TNT Web Page and read entry dated 10.05.2009.

I will spend today packing and prepping for my flight out in the morning to ride in the LLS-TNT Sea Gull Century Bike Ride, in Salisbury, Maryland. I can't help but feel like a phase of my life is coming to an end. Diagnosed with cancer in December, having surgery and being cured in January, recovery in February, having the seemingly never-ending flu in March/April, signing up for the Century Ride in May (having never done anything like this before), training June through October, and now, it's time to Ride this weekend.

It's been an incredible journey, and in most ways, quite a wonderful journey. I have met so many beautiful people who have been touched by cancer in some way, but always in a way that changes their life forever. Cancer has a way of doing that.

I refuse to believe that man will never find a cure for cancer. How do I know that one of the dollars that was donated on my LLS-TNT Web Page will not be the one that leads to the financing of finding the cure? The research must continue to fight this "demon". Just because a task is great and seemingly insurmountable doesn't mean it can't be conquered. I hope you will choose to believe, too!

For those who continue to read my blogs I ask that you say a prayer. Pray that the cure can be found, for the families forever touched, and for all the participants in the Ride this weekend. We will need to rely on our training for strength and endurance, but we also need to rely on God to deliver us to the end of the 100-mile route. Finally, though I will gladly ride in the rain, please pray for good weather during the ride. Right now the forecast still includes a 40% chance of rain.

Thank you all for your support. Some have prayed, some have donated, and some even continue to follow my journey. :) Thank you for going through this chapter of my life with me. I couldn't have made it without you and God, and I glorify him through all of this.

Check here, Facebook, and email accounts throughout the weekend to follow me on the Ride. Some of you are as excited as I am and are wanting me to keep you updated. I know who you are. :) Blessings on you all.

Please take note of my very special personal team members and their families. They are the reasons I am riding!

In Honor of
My Own Victory Over Endometrial Lining (Uterine) Cancer - January 2009
Donna Brown (My Friend) - Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Debbie Bryant (My Sister) - Hodgkins Disease
Sally Carolus (Husband's Aunt) - Breast Cancer
Elmer Crozier (Friend, Edwin Crozier's grandfather) - Lung Cancer
Jennifer (My Friend) - Breast Cancer
Paige Graham (My Friend's BNL) - Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Jim Hasley (My Brother) - Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, B-Cell Follicular Center, diagnosed June 9, 2009
Kimberly Meyer (My Friend)
Karsyn Miller (My Friend) - High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Jim Pugh (Friend, Stacey Hasting's Father) - Diffuse B-cell Lymphoma, in remission since July 29, 2009
Pat Savel (Friend, Melissa Savel's MIL) - Leukemia
Ceomi Shanks (My Friend) - Leukemia
Tammy Strausser (My LLS-TNT Teammate)
Carrie Sword (Friend, Melissa Savel's Grandmother) - Lymphoma
Rebecca Williams (Friend, Marita Crozier's Sister) - Hodgkins Disease


In Memory of
Steve Bobbitt (Friend, Marita Crozier's Father) - Mesothelioma
Don Buzga (My Friend) - Malignant Brain Tumor
Toby Crozier (Friend, Edwin Crozier's father) - Pancreatic Cancer
Victor Dye (Friend, Lori Sloter's Father) - Stomach Cancer
Kelsey Wynne Harris (Daughter of Simon and Teresa Harris and Friend to Many) - Glioblastoma Multiforme (Malignant Brain Tumor)
Charles Hasley (My Uncle) - Lung Cancer
Hollis Hasley (My Grandfather) - Lung Cancer
Paul Hayes (MIL, Bonnie Perrin's Father) - Lung Cancer
Nathan Ing (My Friend) - Malignant Brain Tumor
Sharon Kegg (Friend, Russ Kegg's Wife) - Malignant Brain Tumor
William Nicholson (Friend, Eva Sochor's Father) - Pancreatic Cancer
I. H. Perrin (FIL, Bo Perrin Sr's Father) - Lung Cancer
Lorraine Perrin (FIL, Bo Perrin Sr's Mother) - Lung Cancer
Kathy Walton Sword (Friend, Melissa Savel's Mother) - Hodgkins Disease
Steve Walker (Friend, Aleta Samford's Husband) - Colon Cancer