GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!!

Pastor Orean Cosby
Pastoral Counselor
Stage IV  Breast Cancer with Mets to the Bones
SURVIVOR !!!

THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED            
                           "THE GIFT - 2011"

FOR THOSE UNABLE TO ATTEND

DONATIONS ARE STILL BEING ACCEPTED!!!

A PORTION OF MY STORY - I AM A STAGE IV BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR - BLESS GOD!!!

I WAS DIAGNOSED JANUARY 14, 2011 AND I AM HERE TO DECLARE THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD.

When I received the diagnosis of breast cancer, my hemoglobin count was down to 8.5 and my doctors were seriously contemplating a blood transfusion. I did not want to do that so I opt to taking iron supplement for the anemia that was primarily due to the cancer.  After I was dismissed from the hospital to recover from the original surgery where the cancer was discovered, I began researching my condition.  I decided to go back to the garden of Eden for additional help.

I began a very strict diet of vegetables, fresh fruits and specific herbs and teas.  By March, 2011 the tumor markers had dropped by 50% but my hemoglobin had only increased to 10.2. My oncologist ordered a complete body scan along with a full body scan which resulted in a prognosis of stage iv breast cancer with mets (moved) to the bones.  My entire skeleton had signs of breast cancer, from my skull to the bones in my feet.  There was a lytic lesion on the neck of my femur bone that showed a hole that was approximately 50% eaten away. 

By April the orthopedic surgeon recommended putting a rod in my femur bone in order to stabilize the leg for when the time came that it would break - with the assumption that the bone was extremely fragile. Interestingly, when the surgery began, the doctor reported, the bone was stronger than anticipated and made putting the rod in more complicated.  That caused the recovery time to be longer than I expected.  I ended up in a rehabilitation center where my hemoglobin began to drop again.  By the second week of rehab, my blood count was down to 7.9 and of course the facility doctor wanted to order a blood transfusion. Again, I asked that it not be done because I wanted to go back to the herbs that helped me before.  Within the week after getting back on my regime my blood count started going back up. From June 17th to December 7 my blood count has risen to the normal range of 12.  Praise God!!  The mammograms taken on November 30 shows a significant decrease in the size of the tumor and all the cancer markers are going in the right direction.

I continue to stand on the Word of God as I did from the time my doctor gave me her report and the oncologist gave me his report.  I made a very conscious decision to believe the report of the Lord.  His report says that I am already healed because of what Jesus Christ did at Calvary and on the cross. I receive my healing by faith and walk in my healing now and until my work on earth is done.

                                                                   HEALING THROUGH

THE WORD OF GOD AND FAITH IN JESUS - EATING NUTRIENTS FROM THE EARTH FROM WHENCE WE CAME -  AND PROCEDURES FROM THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY!

GOD'S GRACE COVERED ME

 Preface:

In the churches today, testimony service has been eliminated.  In many instances, I understand the reasons.  However, Psalms 107:2 says "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so". If and when individuals do not know how to testify of God’s goodness, rather than eliminate the process, teach folks how to properly testify for edification and encouragement of the people and glorify God’s work in our lives.  So, since there is no platform for this activity in the church, I will use this time to share a testimony to encourage young mothers, especially single parents, to stay focused on God’s will for your life and use all the gifts that God has given and incorporate time management into the process. Then step back and watch God work for you and your family.  He is FAITHFUL that promise!  (Heb 10:23)

GOD’S GRACE COVERED ME!

While reading an article posted on the page "Beautifully Made Woman" on Facebook, I began reminiscing over my life as a single female parent.  So often, we forget some of the ways that God has blessed us and carried us through periods of our lives with and by His Grace.

A Brief Portion of a Testimony - When I moved to Austin, TX I was a single parent with three children, the youngest being 4 yrs old. The Lord blessed me to manage and train a choir that started out with 20 voices and developed into a 50+ voice choir, a 25-30 voice youth choir, a 15-20 voice children's choir, developed a 9 voice praise team, prayed up a 5 piece instrumental band, and a 6 piece orchestra.  All while going to college carrying a full 19-hour course load (freshman year) and working an internship with Austin's Opera Company.

My week days went something like this; I went to school from 8am to 1:30 pm, went straight to work for the Opera, left there and went to retrieve my latch-key children from home when school was out and got them situated with homework and chores, then on to the church (around the corner from church) to teach piano lessons.  By 6:30 we had youth and adult choir rehearsals on Wednesday nights, Thursday night was praise team and band rehearsals, of which I always had my children with me. After a full day and night, onward home to go to sleep until the next morning and then I would start all over again.  Thank God for Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights – no rehearsals!  However, those nights were spent doing tons of homework that I didn't have time to do Wednesday and Thursday nights. Phew!   Writing this sounds unbelievable – but this is really what it was like!!!

When I look back at that time, I now wonder to myself, how in the world did I do that?  One thing I discovered during this four-year period is that God covered me with His grace to such an extent that everything that wanted to come against me, could not and did not prosper.  Oh yes, I had many obstacles but because of His grace everything that came at me, rolled off me like water off a duck's back. One of the rewards, amongst many, is that none of my children have suffered from my busy schedule, none have been incarcerated, none are strung out on drugs, and all are in music ministry.  Are they perfect, by no means.  Am I perfect - certainly not, there is none perfect but one and His name is Jesus Christ.  But that is what is so good about God.  In our imperfection, we receive His Grace not because of who we are or what we do.  It is all because of His goodness and the result of what Jesus did on the cross.  Glory to God for His Grace that Covered Me then and still covers me today!!!

To all, especially single parent Moms with extremely busy schedules, His Grace will sustain you through hectic times and is available to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You can receive it and experience His grace today.

 

Music – The Effects on the Soul

       The recorded history of Western art music properly begins with the music of the 
Church.  However, all through the Middle Ages and even to the present time artists
and intellectuals have continually turned back to Greece and Rome for instruction, for 
correction, and for inspiration in their various fields of work.

       There was a special reason for the disappearance of the traditions of Roman 
musical practice at the beginning of the Middle Ages: most of this music was connected 
with social occasions that involved lascivious and intoxicated behavior on which the early 
Church looked with horror, or with pagan religious exercises which the Church believed had
to be exterminated.  Consequently, every effort was made not only to keep out of the Church 
that music which would recall such abominations to the minds of the faithful, but, if possible,
to blot out the very memory of it.

       Greek mythology ascribed to music a divine origin. They named as its inventors and 
earliest practitioners gods and demigods, such as Apollo, Amphion, and Orpheus.  In this 
dim prehistoric world, music had magic powers.  People thought it could heal sickness, 
purify  the body and mind, and work miracles in the realm of nature.  From earliest times,
music was an inseparable part of religious ceremonies. 

      The Greek philosopher, Aristotle says, “Music directly imitates (that is, represents)the    passions or states of the soul; gentleness, anger, courage, temperance, and their opposites and other qualities. Hence, when one listens to music that imitates a certain passion, one becomes imbued (filled) with the same passion; and if over a long time one habitually listens to the kind of music that rouses ignoble passions, ones whole character will be shaped to an ignoble form. In recent years, it has been argued that much of the urban rap music of the late 90’s have encouraged incorrigible and inappropriate behavior. This notion is the same as was recorded by the great philosophers of the Middle Ages.

       Aristotle continues, in short, if one listens to the wrong kind of music, one will become the wrong kind of person; but conversely, if one listens to the right kind of music, one will tend to become the right kind of person. Consider this in relation to why God commands us to sing praises unto our God. Music that is filled with praise and adoration to and of God can only bring one into a realm that acknowledges the goodness of God and His grace. Hence, ones life can become overflowing with joy.

       Music affects character and different kinds of music affect the character in different ways. 
As believers in God and followers of Christ the music that we sing and listen to, should 
be selective.  It should be music that will give praise to God. It should also lift our spirit 
to exemplify the attributes and nature of God in the earth realm.

        I submit to every reader that is called by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, consider the kinds of passion that is stirred when you listen to your favorite music. Consider this, as Christians the music we listen to should encourage us to continue to live daily a lifestyle that shows forth praise and worship to our God according to 1Peter 2:9.