Monday, April 13, 2009

{pray}


this is my beautiful friend donna. just two weeks ago she had a very sudden double mastectomy due to breast cancer. on the day of her surgery she called in the morning and asked us to pray for her. the girls and i did, and after school i got this little note from emma's reading teacher:


One of our reading words today was "pray." Emma said, "speaking of pray...I would like to pray for my mom's friend Donna, who is having surgery... could we do that?" I was touched. I told her that I would in my heart and anyone who wanted to could in their own heart. That seemed to satisfy her
donna is emma's sunday school teacher, and a walking miracle. she spen 8 years in a wheel chair with a bucket list for the "time left" she'd been given. then, within the last year, she started walking! our miracle girl can walk, even up stairs holding her gradbaby! she has one of the biggest hearts of anyone i have ever known, and makes me want to be a better person.

this dear friend starts an aggressive six months of chemo next week. so today she came by for some pre-chemo pictures before heading off for a couple days of camping with her hubby. we'll do some again when her hair is gone, and celebrate each day God blesses us with her. but i wanted to share this wonderful woman with you, and ask you to pray for her as you think to.


oh, and as a side note, i have a new article out today on the scrap review. :)

18 comments:

Marisa said...

Amazing pictures, she is going to love them dearly. <3

I hope her chemo side effects are minimal. She seems to be in good spirits (from the pictures) and she certainly has a lot of people in her corner which is HUGE when battling the beast.

Sara Ancich said...

Beautiful pictures. What a nice idea to photograph the before and after.

Vanessa (aka V'ness, Nessa, oldschool) said...

I normally am not the praying type...I don't often feel the need to ask for anything.
Donna I can see your beauty and lift you & yours.
Noel...gorgeous

Tina said...

What a neat idea with the pictures. I will definitely keep your friend in my prayers. This is a great gift to give her, Noel

Tina

Unknown said...

Beautiful photos and a beautiful story. Wishing the best for your friend.

okanogangirl said...

Simply beautiful pictures Noel. And I will be praying for Donna (and her family) as I think of them through out the day. Stunning pictures. (And what a gorgeous shot of feminity even after the masectomy - you'd never know - I bet she'll appreciate this shot especially now).

You only use natural lighting don't you?

noel joy said...

thanks amanda. yes, just natural lighting here. i have an sb600 flash, but i'm not very good with it, so usually i opt for natural light. this one was by the slider in my kitchen.

Kathy T said...

These photos are stunning. You can almost feel her spirit thru them. What a great gift you are able to give her and her family. Adding her to my prayer list.

Sherry Williams said...

what lovely thoughts and pictures of your dear friend. i will remember to share my prayer time with her.
you take amazing photos and have beautiful girls too.
I was looking at your posts below. about your girls and their hair and outfits. good idea to treasure it now. my girls are 18 months apart as well, now ages 10 1/2 and 12 and they are so SO different. they can share the same size clothes just like yours, and share the same shoe minus a skinny foot and a chubbier one, but my goodness, they have such different likes now as they get older. what one does the other wants the exact opposite. i miss the days of sharing frilly outfits and questions of are they twins??
i have the pictures and memories though. oh-- its also wondeful to experience them each discovering their own sense of fashion and likes etc. good luck.

TM Capps said...

Noel,
I couldn't leave your blog without commenting...first of all, i am praying for your friend...second of all...her life has changed forever in an instant...but she will get through this because of God's grace and wonderful friends like you! She is a lucky lady to have you by her side. These pictures mean way more than you will ever know.

jodie said...

What a testiment to how your little girls are raised! I love when I hear my children pray without me or "catch" them reading the Bible, let's me know I'm doing something right...lol
I wish your friend abounding strength & will keep her in my prayers!

Where two or more are gathered...
God Bless!

Eileen said...

These are beautiful pictures! To have the love and support of friends like you is the best medicine she can have right now. I will definitely keep her in my prayers.

Gretchen Clark said...

These are gorgeous!!! Will keep her in my prayers!!!



On a side note: Love the lighting...what are you using? and how do you position it??? would love any advice (that is my next hurdle, LOL!)

noel joy said...

hey gretchen,

the lighting is just window light through the sliding glass door in my kitchen. it's a north facing window, and it was cloudy & rainy yesterday when i took the pictures.

she's probably 8-10 feet from the window. hth! (i'm trying to learn lighting too.)

Luv2talk said...

Talking with a friend, and we both agree, "Yes, old enough to have a "baby", definitely NOT OLD ENOUGH to have a GRANDBABY!"

She looks amazing. Wishing her strength, faith & hope.

Leslie

noel joy said...

leslie,
her oldest daughter graduated with me. :) she definitely looks amazing, i'll tell her you said so. :)

Samantha said...

Donna is such a lovely person, and to look so good and be grandma is icing on the cake! I will keep her and her family in my thoughts and prayers. Your pictures of her a simply amazing.

DawnS said...

I will keep her & her family in my thoughts & prayers. These are gorgeous photos...and what a wonderful idea. You are a good friend.

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