March 12,2025

Hello my friends, I hope you are well and enjoying the beautiful spring like weather! My most recent chemo cycle on March 6 really zapped my energy and I haven’t posted, but I’m happy to feel like updating you tonight. I’m keenly aware that as a child of God, He is never far from me, and just as we are highly present for our children when they are ill or distressed, our Father is highly present for us. Unfortunately, we can sometimes feel like God is far away, but our feelings can be deceitful. Scripture tells us that God is a relational God, He wants to be our Father, He wants an up close and personal relationship. Psalm 139 reminds us that God knows when we sit and when we rise; He perceives our thoughts, He is familiar with all of our ways. Hebrews 13:5 tells us he will never leave us.

There are times when we need Him and we just don’t have the words, or the energy, but all we have to do is speak His name. Scripture tells us there is power in the name of Jesus, not only because salvation is found in the name of Jesus, but because Jesus responds to His name when those that love Him call His name. When you are tired, too exhausted from what life throws on you, just whisper the name Jesus. The simplest cries penetrate His heart. God knows that we get tired, He knows that chemo and illness cause unimaginable fatigue, but He knows that when we can’t, He can. When I wait on Him, I can run and not be weary, I can walk and not faint. Psalm 62:1 tells us that “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.” When you are weary and life weighs you down, just whisper the name of Jesus and find your rest in Him.

February 28, 2025

Psalm 73:25 reminds me that God is always with me; and He holds me by my right hand. I read that scripture, I believe that scripture, and yet, I have to be reminded over and over again.I was reading my Jesus Calling devotional this morning and it was one of those devotionals where words just jump off the page , and the words that spoke volumes to me provided a reminder that “ my gravest danger is worrying about tomorrow.” When my focus shifts to MY circumstances, I lose sight of God. When my attention is on me, I forget that God, my good, good Father, is fully aware of my situation and He is holding my right hand; guiding, leading, steering me through the valley of the shadow of death. Shadows may scare us, but they can’t hurt us. We must discipline our thoughts and our mind to live in the present, stay in today, because today is where my Father walks with me. It is in today that He helps to carry my burdens. Today’s burdens are enough to carry, we don’t need to pull the burdens of the past along with us, and we don’t need to borrow burdens from tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 says “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I’m having to work a little to remind myself to keep my focus on the present and His presence. I’ve felt good for the past few days and it is easy to start to dread the next round of chemo, but if I shift my focus to dreading next Wednesday, I lose sight of joy of feeling good today! A reminder to me, and to you, live in His presence in the present, it’s the absolute best place to be.

Some of you have asked for specific things to pray for, please pray that a little stitch abscess right above my port-a-cath incision site doesn’t cause a line infection. I’m taking antibiotics and I’m trusting the port can be used for chemo Wednesday. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, love you all.💕

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Margaret Sims Gilmer

a day ago

Praying for you dear Teresa. I’m so glad I got to see you at Andrea’s wedding last year. My sweet cousin Marilyn Nell shared your story with me.
Praying for you as I walk this journey also.

Myra

9 days ago

Thinking of you🙏🌹. Blessings for peace, comfort, strength and joy for the day.

February 22, 2025

It's a cold Saturday morning in Mississippi, but there's something beautiful about every day that we are given, if we just look closely. We can't get the snuggly comfort of a plush blanket and steamy cup of coffee on a hot August morning, so God has beautiful gifts for us all around, we just have to be still and look. I guess you are noticing that 'Be Still' theme that keeps running through my posts, and my dear friend Lora gave me a little decorative "Be Still and Know That I Am God" plaque that I see as soon as I open my eyes each morning, I believe God has given me that scripture for this cancer journey, and there's so much to be learned from that verse, This morning my "be still" pondering is one that has rolled around in my head for a few weeks, and that is the extravagance of God. This phrase was used recently at the funeral of a dear servant of God and one of my Sunday School "girls" challenged our class to think about the meaning of the extravagance of God. I can tell you it should not take a cancer diagnosis to slow us down enough to pause and consider the extravagance of God. The man that I referenced his funeral certainly seemed to understand that an extravagant God is worthy of extravagant worship and praise. I don't think God's definition of extravagant is the wood, hay, and stubble that we often value above peace of mind, health, and relationships. Especially the most important relationship of all, our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Far too often we spend our youth, our health, our time, our energy looking for more -more money, more recognition, more stuff that is next year's trash. I'm not saying that we should just sit back and be lazy, I believe we are meant to work, to learn, to seek, to share, to give, to love, but when we look at God's creation, there is balance. When our perspective turns inward to focus on extravagant for me, we miss the extravagance of God. What diamond can rival the brilliance of a sunrise over the water? What home can compare in splendor to standing on a snow-covered mountain top with nothing but clear blue sky and snowcapped mountains as far as the eye can see? What expensive bottle of champagne can quench your thirst on a hot day like a really cold drink of water straight from the garden hose? What exotic flower can rival the joy in your heart that a handful of weeds pulled straight from the ground by your child or grandchild brings? Money can't buy peace of mind or a good night's sleep. Sitting in the penthouse office with no friends can't bring the pure happiness of sharing a pizza with dear friends that love you for who you are, not the title you hold or the things you have. These my friend are but a few of the extravagant gifts from God. Getting a diagnosis that should shake you to your core but leaves you knowing this is going to be ok because ALL Mighty God tells me to be still and know that He is God, that is the extravagance of God!

Many of you reading this have experienced trouble in your lives, you've survived cancer, you are living with cancer, you are struggling with other illnesses that are just as, or perhaps more debilitating than cancer, you've survived unimaginable loss, or you've watched a loved suffer through difficulties. There are so many, but whatever your struggle, I can tell you the burden doesn't have to be yours to bear. That doesn't mean there's not a portion of it that is ours to carry, grow stronger from, and learn from, but it is never a crushing burden. Scripture, prayer, and the encouragement of Christian friends are three of my strongest burden bearers.

As for the cancer update. I'm feeling well today. I'm stronger, food finally tastes good, and I've got on clothes and makeup! I'm thinking the worst of this first chemo cycle is behind me, so I'm anticipating good days between now and the next cycle of chemo on March 5th.

I'm so grateful for each of you, for your thoughts, your prayers, your kindnesses. Perhaps one of God's greatest extravagances during difficult times is the joy of connecting with friends that I haven't connected with in a while and remembering the way so many of you have influenced and helped to shape my life and my faith. Thank you for loving and encouraging me.

February 18, 2025

Hello my friends!

I'm sorry it has been a few days since I posted an update, but I quickly learned that chemo doesn't care if I feel well or not. I had my first chemo treatment on Thursday, February 13. It was a very long day with about 7 hours of getting started and multiple drug infusions. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. When I finished, I felt pretty good, and I was really hungry, so we stopped to eat. About 2 hours later I realized that was not such a good idea. The unrelenting nausea started and while the Zofran and Compazine helped, the nausea was always lingering. By Sunday I was feeling better and started eating with some soup. Sunday evening the bone and muscle pain started, and it is still a bit of a problem, but I am grateful that while my side effects have been uncomfortable, they have not been debilitating. Afterall, chemo is poison that is seeking to destroy cancer cells.

I realize more every day that I am truly blessed; I am blessed to have an option for treatment, I am blessed to have a husband and family that loves me and cares for my every need, I am blessed by friends that pray for me and offer so many times a day to help me, I am blessed by having everything that I need, so what more could I want? I am also reminded that my greatest blessing is the power of the Holy Spirit living in me through my faith in Jesus Christ. The Spirit that is strong when I am weak, the Spirit that lets me rest while it fights, the Spirit that assures me that regardless of how scary the circumstances may look, everything is fully under the control of the Almighty God of this universe that I have the privilege to call Father, and I have the Comforter that sooths and holds in a near tangible way during the night when bones ache and sleep can't be found. Yes, I am most blessed!

I heard the song Flowers Grow in the Valley by Samantha Ebert for the first time tonight and it is one of those hauntingly beautiful songs that leaves your pondering the lyrics - lyrics that continue to play in your head. As I have contemplated these haunting lyrics, I've realized that even a cancer diagnosis can be an ugly lifeless appearing seed that is planted into my life, but I can choose to allow God to use His watering-can to nurture this seed into a beautiful flower, or I can just let it grow wild like a weed and choke the life out of what God wants to be a beautiful period in my life. Is everything in my life beautiful right now, certainly not, but can I allow this time to be used for something more that is good, absolutely!

2 Corinthians 4:17 " For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!"

My prayer is for God to bless you with good health and for each of you to know the power, the safety, the security, the provision, the peace of mind, and most of all the LOVE that comes from knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Salvation is not a political statement, it is a Love Story !

February 7, 2025 Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Good afternoon my friends!

A friend and former colleague sent me an inspiring message today that has resonated with me all afternoon. She is a cancer survivor, and unlike me, she wasn't in the older years of her life when she started her journey, she was (and is) a young woman with a family, and she loves Jesus. She reminded me of how much Isaiah 41:10 has meant to her during her cancer journey. This is also a special verse to me. God tells us that He, the almighty God, will strengthen us and help us; He will uphold us with His righteous right hand. Have you ever thought about physically extending your right hand to take hold and really feel the strong grasp of God's righteous right hand? I had not, but because of this dear friend I certainly think a lot about it now!

I do want to take a minute to fill you in on the update about my cancer diagnosis. As I have told many of you, MD Andersons confirmed the diagnosis that was made by my doctors in Florence, Alabama. I have a cancer that is called Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Peritoneum. It is thought to be from an endometrial implant from many years ago when I struggled with endometriosis. It is a rare and aggressive type that isn't often found until late stages after it has spread. It is even more rare to find it in a woman that has had a total hysterectomy a couple of years before. So if you look it up, realize that much of what is written isn't about the stage that I have. Mine appears to be early without evidence that it has spread. There is treatment for it, and I will start chemotherapy treatments on Thursday, February 11, at ClearView Cancer Center in Florence, AL. I have much to tell about how God has worked in this, so bear with me. Jenny, my daughter-in-law, awakened on Tuesday morning with this still small voice prompting her to call an oncologist that she knew form some mission work that she had participated in with him. She said she just couldn't dismiss it, she messaged him, and he messaged her back pointing out that I needed to start treatment quickly. Without too many long pages of details, God has worked out so many things, so quickly, in a healthcare system that typically moves slowly, but the "fix it" me had to take my hands off and allow someone else to help me. Those of you that know me, know that is hard for me to do, but God wants me to learn to trust Him and His ways, because they are so, so much higher than my way, and sometimes His ways means allowing Him to work through others on your behalf. My oncologist is an amazing humble Christian man. He is excellently qualified and has worked collaboratively with MD Anderson on other patients across the years. He held our hands and prayed a powerful prayer over me. This amazing busy oncologist that is retiring soon and not seeing new patients saw me in less than 48 hours, and the only reason I haven't already started chemotherapy is that I had to stop my blood thinner for a few days before having my port catheter inserted surgically. I'll have my port placed on Tuesday, so as you think of it next week, keep me in your prayers.

So, so many people have been through circumstances similar to mine, and so many have been through much worse. Just know that there's no diagnosis that strikes fear into the heart of God.

I can't say that I am ready to thank God for cancer, or that I will ever be able to do that, but I can sure thank Him for everything that He is teaching me in this journey. I've praised Him for the good times, and now it's time to praise Him in the tough times. Dr. Steve Gaines, the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, is going through a difficult cancer battle and in one of his recent sermons he shared a song that he listens to every day, it was new to me, but it is a powerful song that I now have on my playlist. If you haven't listened to is You're Not Done by Leland & Charity Gayle, take the time to listen. It says, "If you still have breath in your lungs, you're not done." Dr. Adrian Rogers used to say that we aren't made to "sit ,soak, and sour."

My prayer is for the LORD to bless you, to keep you, may His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace."

If you don't know, when you see the word LORD in all caps in the Bible it indicates the word Jahwey (Yahweh), that is the sacred name of God.

I will try to update a couple of times a week, just for my own encouragement if nothing else.

Much love to your all!

If you have a prayer need or just want to communicate with my privately, my email address is mamatdawson1674@gmail.com and my phone for text or calls is 662-660-9424. I would be honored to pray for you as so many of you are praying for me.

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Carol Haygood Penix

18 days ago

Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us!! What God has already poured into you is being poured on each of us with your encouragement and shared thoughts in “such a time as this”. I have always loved the story of Esther. The troubling times that the Jews were in raised up encouraging words from Mordecai himself that God had made her for “such a time as this.”

I am like you with the awe of God in nature and all that He surrounds me with bringing everything into perspective but I also am in awe of Him when I see His mighty hand in the lives and testimonies that reach us all in His daily works and how He is causing us to look at the spiritual aspect of life and the truth of it all.

I love you dear Teresa!! I will be praying AND reading AND rejoicing in the goodness of God through your journey! You and your whole family have been so special to us through the years and we praise God for our connections!!

Much love!!
Carol

I'm not a photographer, but I love to photograph sunrises and sunsets when we are traveling. The sunrise and the sunset always remind me of the faithfulness of God. Regardless of the circumstances in the world, the sun rises and the sun sets according to God's time. Man can fake, manufacture, and alter many things, but never God's sunrises and sunsets. Just like He puts the sun, the moon, and the stars into the world to light our physical walking path, He gave us Jesus to light our spiritual walking path. Just as there is great peace watching the sun rise and set, there is great peace watching the light and love of Jesus guide us, orchestrate our every step, and shine His warmth on our face when we look to Him. I pray you will feel the light, the love, the peace of Jesus in your heart and mind today.

February 5, 2025 God Is Good!

5 Feb 2025 21:02

I apologize that I haven't posted for a few days, but our lives have been a bit of a whirlwind over the past 10 days. I was a bit frustrated with the obstacles that I kept encountering trying to get my chemo treatments set up locally, but once again the Holy Spirit had to remind me to Be Still and Let God. My ladies Sunday School class will tell you that I have used this phrase so many times over the past couple of years to remind us that we have to turn loose of the problems that we like to hold so tightly before we can Be Still and recognize the many ways that God shows us that He is God!

We're Home! -February 1, 2025

1 Feb 2025 20:26

We are so thankful to be safely home, and home has never looked so good! We are grateful that I can receive chemotherapy treatments close to home using the MD Anderson treatment plan. At this time the plan is to receive chemo for about 3 months to shrink the tumor, go back to MD Anderson for scans after the third cycle of chemo, and hopefully plan for surgery after a fourth cycle of chemo. I'm thankful for the healthcare providers that God invites into His work to bring healing and comfort into our lives.

Day 3 at MDA

29 Jan 2025 20:09

January 29, 2025. 3rd Day at MDA. Hello, my friends, this has been an off day with no appointments, so while it was nice to have some rest time, I was a bit antsy, it’s not easy for me to be still and do nothing. And yet, God tells us to Be Still and KNOW that He is God. It is In those quiet moments that we can feel His presence and hear His voice most clearly. Let’s all take more time to be still. It doesn’t take a cancer diagnosis or a difficult time in life to feel God’s presence and strength, but it does take slowing down enough to listen and look for it. When was the last time you looked for God in the sunrise , listened for His voice in the wind, or stood in awe of His splendor watching the waves of the ocean? It is time to stop, look, and listen for the presence of God. His presence will fill you with unimaginable peace. All of you are incredible friends. Some that I’ve known and loved for years, and some that shared brief seasons of my life, but all that are treasured. The life that God has given me has been incredible blessed, and your kind words through texts, messages, posts, notes and calls have served as reminders of the beautiful threads that friends have woven into the tapestry of my life. You, my friends, are some of my most treasured gifts. This journey may be long, but it will be good, despite the circumstances, because I have the power of the Holy Spirit and each of you walking it with me. In John 15:12 Jesus commands us to love each other as He has loved us.

Day 3 at MD Anderson

29 Jan 2025 07:15

Good morning my friends, This is the day the Lord has made, and I Do rejoice and I am glad in it! As you know, I’m not a professional blogger, so this is just a convenient way to share my thoughts with so many dear friends and family. Your outpouring of love, kindness, your encouragement, and your prayers continue to humble and uplift me.

Day 1 at MD Anderson

January 27, 2025. Today has been my first day at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This is an amazing place that offers hope to so many that are frightened by the word Cancer. One of MDA’s messages is that their doctors treat more cancer in one day than most providers treat across an entire career. They also say that in their clinics, no cancer is rare. I am blessed to be able to receive treatment by my exceptional medical team . I have been enrolled in the MDA Gynecology Oncology Rare Tumor Clinic, but we were quickly assured today this diagnosis is treatable. I have more tests scheduled tomorrow, and from there, we will know the next testing steps, or meet with my oncology team to review all of the results and discuss a treatment plan. By the end of the week we will know the next steps.

I am touched and humbled by the many messages that I have received letting me know that people near and far are praying for me. I am so thankful for those prayers! Kim and I know that our peace of mind is because we are held up in prayer. I know that God has prepared me for this journey through scripture and study over the past couple of years. I have learned that faith and fear can’t exist together; I have learned that my spiritual battle is fought on the battlefield of my mind, and to fight that battle I must reject thoughts that don’t align to God’s truth; I must stand firm in my faith while God fights the battle for me. Our only offensive weapon is scripture, and we have to know it to use it. I’m learning everyday the true meaning of God is faithful.

It’s bedtime, so rest well, Know that I love you, and God has this cancer thing fully under control.
. Isaiah 30:21 NIV Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”